The Big Boo Cast

The two of us had fairly boring weekends, but that didn't stop us from rambling about our everyday concerns: our (previously undeclared) fondness for certain Old Spice products, our difficulties finding (and ordering) some products we really love, and our realizations that certain pandemic practices may have changed us in ways we didn't expect. Also, we talk about how I've rediscovered a 70's TV c...

This week we talk about Melanie's long-standing feud with a large electronics store, the highlights of this past Sunday's State / Ole Miss baseball game, and a couple of new recipes we've recently tried. We also discuss our personal comforter and duvet preferences, our feelings about matte vs. dewy finishes with make-up, and I share my latest round of Five Favorites. What a thrill. What a time. En...

It was such a treat for Melanie and me to close out Five Questions - a six-week bonus series of The Big Boo Cast - with our longtime friend Annie F. Downs . Annie is a podcaster, a New York Times bestselling author, and an Instagram delight. We loved getting to reminisce about our old blogging days (Bloglines and Google Reader, anyone?) and the first few years of Annie's writing career in Nashvill...

Here's what I'll say about this week's episode: it's a whole lot. Melanie and I both talk about our weekends, I offer a (nerdy) update on my June's Journey progress, and then we both share graduation gift ideas. It's that time of year, y'all. Plus, Melanie shares her Five Favorites, and the end result of all of that content is a pretty long podcast episode. We'll be back on Monday with our final i...

This week on the fifth installment of Five Questions - a six-week bonus series of The Big Boo Cast - we're talking with Lisa Jackson, who just so happens to be our literary agent. Lisa works in Colorado Springs with Alive Literary Agency, and I know Melanie would agree that, in so many ways, she is the wind beneath our writing wings. You might even convince us to sing a duet about how much we love...

We have a special guest on this week's episode, and we couldn't be happier about it. Sharon McMahon ( @sharonsaysso ) has taken Instagram by storm over the last few months - she is a funny, wise, non-partisan former government teacher - and she has created such a beautiful online community. Melanie and I have gotten such a kick out of following her and learning from her, so when it worked out for...

This week on Five Questions - a six-week bonus series of The Big Boo Cast - we're talking with Elizabeth Passarella , a contributing editor at Southern Living magazine and the author of Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York . We started this conversation a few weeks ago on Episode 224, so we are delighted to bring you part two today. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, has lived in New...

We're back with a new regular episode after a week away, and we catch up on all manner of things: Caroline's last soccer game, the weather in Alabama, college baseball, and what we've been watching.  We also discuss what we're thinking about cooking for Easter, a new hidden object game that has captured my fancy, and Melanie's latest round of Five Favorites. Last thing: don't miss our latest Five...

This week on Five Questions - a bonus series of The Big Boo Cast - we're talking with Retha Nichole , our favorite life and business coach who also happens to be the business manager for our podcast. Retha has a way of cutting straight through excuses and procrastination and helping people not just see their goals - but figure out how to make forward progress. So whether you've dreamed of writing...

This week on Five Questions - our new bonus series of The Big Boo Cast - we're talking with Laura Tremaine , our longtime blog friend and newly published author. Laura is insightful, honest, and she has had such an interesting journey from blogging to podcasting to writing a book. We had an absolute blast talking with her. And just a reminder: there's no regular episode this week because Melanie a...

On this week's episode Melanie and I talk about how we're dealing with the things that signal Ye Olde Passage of Time - like Caroline's dorm room decor and Alex's 18th birthday. We also discuss some things we've been watching, and I of course feel like I need to rehash some recent Mississippi State baseball developments. Just a heads up about next week: on Monday we'll have the latest installment...

If you're wondering why in the world you're seeing a new podcast episode on a Monday, here's why. Melanie and I are doing a bonus series called Five Questions with some of our favorite writers - and some of our favorite people who are connected to our writing life. These are shorter, 25-ish to 30-ish minute episodes that we hope will brighten your day and encourage you, too.  This week we're talki...

On this week's episode we discuss Melanie's Spring Break getaway in Dallas, along with how breezy (not) I was on Alex's first college tour at Samford. We also talk about a couple of fun things I found at Target - and a TV show I recently watched and enjoyed. And just in case you're wondering: we oh-so-briefly discuss the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah, but this is not the episode where we'l...

It's quite a week on Ye Olde Podcast: Melanie shares an AT&T update, I reminisce about the South Central Bell customer service reps of my formative years, and Melanie gets us up to speed on Caroline's most recent soccer games.  Also, I overshare about Mississippi State's baseball series against Tulane, but I trust you've grown to expect this kind of thing. And to top it all off, we have a long...

It seems like it's been forever since we last said these words, but college baseball season is here! On this episode we talk about opening weekend for the Aggies and the Bulldogs, and we also discuss our weekend outings to the State / Alabama women's basketball game (me) and the San Antonio rodeo (Mel). Plus, Mel shares some ways we can all jump in and help Texans who are recovering from last week...

This week we talk all about Melanie's Winter Extravaganza (TM) in San Antonio, which leads to a discussion about potential winter meals and our preparation (or lack thereof) for winter weather snacks. I also chronicle my Marvel Movie Plan (also TM but not really), and you'll be delighted (though not at all surprised) to hear me confuse the Captain America and Captain Marvel movies when I discuss w...

On this week's episode Melanie teaches us a new word related to real estate, and I talk about three exciting discoveries from my most recent writing weekend at a local Hampton Inn. We also discuss our thoughts about how dogs perceive time. And while we didn't plan it, Melanie offers her thoughts on blazers (I'm still thinking about what she said), and she also shares her Five Favorites - which I i...

Be advised that you may get whiplash from this week's episode; we are all over the place with our topics. We move from discussing the new Buc-ee's in Birmingham to Melanie's new liver supplements to the fact that I read two books in 24 hours to Melanie's determination to solve her family's TV streaming issues once and for all. And at the end of this episode, you'll hear an excerpt from our recent...

On this episode Melanie shares her thoughts on a recent soccer game - and how she suffered after insisting that Caroline needed to stretch afterwards. We recap inaugural fashion (A BALM TO MY SOUL), and we spend some time speculating about JLo's skincare routine (whatever it is, IT WORKS).  Melanie also has some new products to tell us about (my favorite!), and on top of that, she tells us about h...

Well, this is just the fanciest of the episodes. We talk about vegetables, whether or not we're bothered by food odors, our struggle to make better meal choices, and how we like to achieve volume in our hair using a chip clip. We also talk about how sometimes giving up is the best option, Melanie's new method of chronicling what she reads, and my most recent round of Five Favorites. Enjoy, y'all!...

On this episode we spend some time making predictions about the National Championship game, and then we move into deeper subjects like eyebrow pencils, what we love about libraries, and additional low-level goals for 2021. We also talk about Melanie's completely accurate assessment of the Living Proof Dry Volume Blast (I finally tried it!), my quest for the perfect hair towel, and Melanie's (DELIG...

Consider this episode a celebration of the arrival of Twenty Twenty-Fun, because we have lots of happy football news and happy movie news and even some happy salad news.  Yes. I said "salad."  We also talk about our low-level goals for the new year, our favorite crunchy vegetables (THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC), and last but not least, my current Five Favorites. So, as you can see, 2021 is off to a...

Lo, it is our last episode of 2020, and right out of the gate Melanie comes in strong by sharing catchphrase she's heard for 2021. I have a feeling that this episode won't be the last time we reference it. Besides the catchphrase fun, we talk about our respective Christmases, my deep affection for a new year, and we also discuss what three product discoveries from 2020 we plan to carry with us int...

This week I share a terrible (okay - not really terrible - just exasperating) thing that happened when I had to go to Walmart and Target on the same day, and Melanie analyzes the Aggies' College Football Playoff chances. We also have a discussion about Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash, only I call it Sierra Mist Cranberry Blast, and clearly I have reached a point in my life where I just make up my own...

This week we talk about weather (yes, we are 107), some fun fashion memories, and college football because if we didn't talk about college football then the world would surely stop spinning on its axis. We also share part of this month's Closer Look episode from Patreon - with special guest Travis Cottrell. As many of y'all know, Travis is one of our very favorite people - and he happens to be a h...