Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness

This week we did a whole episode about relatshes (our funny way of abbreviating relationships) in honor of Valentine's Day! We talk about how we met each other, we hear how some of you met each other, and for any of you single folk out there, we talk about where to find love. Oh, and we discuss how every love story in a rom-com movie is built on a lie. Happy Valentine's Day (or whenever you're lis...

I’ve always said after I had kids that items may have “shifted in flight.” As I’ve gotten older, I’m not doing many things different in terms of my diet or exercise, but I’ve noticed the scale wants to creep up. It made me say (for lack of a better phrase) WTF is up with that? We decided to chat with Dr. Mary Claire Haver on our podcast, and ask her that very scientific question… WTF. Dr. Haver ha...

I have a really hard time ever calling something a failure. For me, even if something doesn’t go as well as I had hoped, I always learn and grow from the situation, which, I think, is a good thing! If you are making a choice about something, it is totally okay to not know exactly what you are doing or how to do it because then you can learn and grow. Even if you feel like you aren’t succeeding in...

I am fully aware that I am susceptible to seasonal depression disorder this time of year, and, when life feels like a LOT, I like to look for actionable items to shift my perspective. One way I do this is to look for inspirational people who are spreading positivity and hope. We invited Carlos on our podcast (link) this week to learn more about how we can be better at this human thing. In Car...

As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression where positivity is a conscious choice, I get a little skeptical about any advice on how to "magically be happier." This week, Penn was VERY excited to talk to our guest, while I had some hard questions. We had a great discussion with Neil Pasricha, a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including his latest book Our Book of Awesome...

What a journey this podcast took us on. As you know, the new year always brings new hopes and dreams for me (Kim) and I will shout them from the rooftops. (If you don't put your dreams into the universe, how will it happen?!) Penn is the polar opposite. He has hopes and dreams, but prefers to keep them to himself as to not be a burden. We could not be more mismatched in this department (and I thin...

In our mid-40s, we knew we’d be some of the older competitors on The Amazing Race - a famously grueling show in which teams of two travel the globe conquering physical (and sometimes mental and emotional) challenges. We wanted to be as ready as possible and in the next few weeks we’re going to be sharing some of our favorite workouts that can be done in a gym or at home. Even if you aren’t trainin...

As a new mom, I was secretly dreading the time when my kids were older and Christmas would somehow feel less special when the “magic” wore off. Well, it turns out, there’s lots and lots of things that make this time with teens so incredibly special and it’s with great relief, I can report that it may feel even more special because they get a hand in how we shape our family traditions. This we...

In this week’s podcast, Kim and I “plogged” the week surrounding my eyelid surgery, and I did a little soul searching about my own self-image and the male tendency to shy away from self-image issues. You also get to hear what I am like on valium. (Which I thought was pretty funny.) Plus, you can hear about all of the incredibly sweet things Kim did to care for me throughout the week. Tell us...

While we typically only hear the dreadful things about menopause, I’m happy to report that there are actually silver linings to this stage of life. Lately I’ve been feeling a little bit like I’m going crazy. My anxiety has been elevated and I’ve been on edge. Maybe that’s why when I saw Dr. Kourtney speaking on TikTok , her words about hormones struck me. Could this be what’s making me feel like t...

We've talked in the past and in our book about secret contracts you have in relationships (i.e. - who always empties the dishwasher, who always makes the meal plan...) but it got us thinking... what about the holidays? We've always said "mature people ask for what they want." So this week we took those two ideas: talking about what we need for the holidays and making an agreement on who does what....

I love talking to a Mom... especially one who is kicking as much butt as Leigh Waters. Leigh Waters was a practicing attorney a few short years ago, who is now one of the top female Pickleball players in the world. More over, her 15-year-old daughter is now ranked #1 in the sport. The mother-daughter duo even play doubles together. We talk to Leigh about how she started in pickleball, her daughter...

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I have been thinking about thankfulness and gratitude. On today’s podcast episode, we spoke with Dr. Robert Emmons who is the leading researcher on gratitude. His work focuses on the psychology of gratitude and joy as they relate to human flourishing and well-being. It even came up that gratitude (when done properly) can turn the dial down on anxiety. We w...

Couldn't we all benefit from a little political therapy? Originally, I wasn't even sure if this episode would be a good idea. Some political issues have been very upsetting to me (as they have been to a lot of people) but speaking to Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers from the podcast, Pantsuit Politics , calmed my nerves. If you're feeling anxious about political conversations or politics in...

Now that my daughter is in Driver’s Ed, she likes to remind me when I’m not completely following the rules of the road. So much so that the other day I reminded her how long I’ve been driving. You guys, I’ve been driving for over 30 YEARS. (How did that happen?) To combat this, we got nostalgic and played some fun games to remind us of our youth. Personally, I was reminded that I hate it when I do...

We've gotten so many good questions from you recently, we dedicated our podcast to answering them! In this episode, we cover evolving dreams, insecurities, and post Amazing Race blues... and why your heart should always be open. Tell us what you like, ask a question, or just say hi. Call 323-364-3929. Your support means the world to us. If you like this podcast please consider leaving us a review....

In honor of Penn's birthday, we decided to ask the question: What would 10-year-old Penn think of his life now? It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and sometimes forget to really appreciate what you’ve accomplished. I know there’s a lot of hard things in life that really suck, but sometimes you look back and are actually grateful in some way for hard things you’ve been through that...

What’s that emotion that’s excited but a little nervous? Nervcited? Well, I’m nervcited because our new game  Family Faceoff  has just launched into the universe (and we asked you listeners to call-in for this episode to play it with us!) Family Faceoff is officially  available for pre-sale now  and will ship in 3 weeks. We made Family Faceoff, becuase we are game people....

On this week’s podcast, I walked Penn through my month of mental health discovery, what worked, and what has room for improvement. The more we talked, the more insight Penn had on how my mind works.  Speaking of how minds work, it should come as no surprise that we somehow detoured to a story of Penn performing the Heimlich maneuver on our friend (she is fine). We learned that, in a crisis, P...

In recent years, I often have shied away from parenting podcasts and books because the older our kids get, the more I feel like they're "cooked." For better or worse, the damage of my parenting has been done. That is, until I started parenting coaching with our friend Dr. Hope Seidel. Through our sessions, we've reframed the way I parent for the better starting with the basis of our unique family...

Let me start by saying I have the best wife on the planet. Let me also say that even though Kim and I wrote a book about marriage (and went to marriage counseling) we are still passengers on this flight. We are still learning. The reason I’m telling you this is because we opened our podcast this week fresh off a fight. Tears and all. I went on a really fun guy’s trip recently, and I forgot to...

ADHD is a spectrum neurodiversity, which means that everyone has at least just a little of it. Because ADHD is Penn's superpower, he gives his best tips to achieve hyperfocus, aka concentration nirvana, in this week's podcast. Hyperfocus means you can tune out everything around you, completely freeze time and space (well, in your mind) and focus on one single task. (Sounds pretty great, right?) Wh...

Now that the kids are back in school, I’ve decided to use September to focus on my own mental health . I’ve talked openly about how I’ve battled anxiety and depression. I know what it takes for me to feel better, now I just have to do it. On this week's podcast I take Penn (and YOU!) along for the ride as I explore meditation techniques with Susan Lee of Body & Brain. Susan helped us with...

This week we explore your questions, but we keep circling back to a few themes of our own. Tell us what you like, ask a question, or just say hi. Call 323-364-3929. Your support means the world to us. If you like this podcast please consider leaving us a review. We also love feedback. Email us at holdermesspodcast@gmail.com. We wrote a book! Learn more here: www.theholdernessfamily.com/book &...

This week on the podcast, we spoke to Dr. Anthony Fauci about the current state of COVID and advice for parents on the upcoming school year. We had a mix of fun and serious questions planned. Early on in the interview, we asked what the pandemic was like for him and his family on a personal level. He said he couldn’t answer that because their experience isn’t typical. “My children get threatened,...