The Girl Next Door Podcast

It's a new year and we look ahead with our intentions and goals. Our conversation includes how we made time and mental space for new year planning, how we want to bring our intentions into our days, and messages of encouragement for our future selves. Mentioned on the show: 10 Questions For the End of the Year (Laura Tremaine) Naming What Matters in 2021 (The Lazy Genius) @thebeyoutybureau Parenti...

Hi friends! We recorded a 2020 wrap-up episode but had technical difficulties with it and are still trying to recover the episode. Hopefully we can bring it to you soon! But in the meantime Kelsey recorded a quick mini-episode for you. She shares how she's making time and space to close out 2020, a couple of rituals she's putting in place now to welcome a new year, plus a few great podcast episode...

Gosh we miss seeing our friends! In this episode we talk about what friendship during a pandemic has looked like for us. Plus we talk about holiday traditions we have with friends and what those will look like this year. Mentioned on the show: Friendship Landscapes (our previous episode on friendship) Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas Tommy John lounge joggers Nursing nightgown Tommy John l...

Budgets might not sound very festive but having a realistic holiday budget can bring merriment. We chat about how we manage holiday budgets with our spouses. Plus we share ideas for affordable gifts and ways to give back to your community if you're in a position to do so. Happy holiday budgeting everyone! Mentioned on the show: Nikki McClure calendars Dressing recipe Jingle Jangle movie   Con...

Today we're sharing our holiday intentions as we look toward the end of this crazy year. We share how we're really doing lately and how that's impacting how we approach the holidays. Then we each share our one word intention for the holidays plus how we'll make time for ourselves and the holiday things we're most looking forward to.   Mentioned on the show: Honest Advent Nespresso Advent Cale...

Combining our loves of cooking and books, today we're chatting about cookbooks. We talk about why we prefer cookbooks to online recipes and each share our tried and true favorite cookbooks. Plus we discuss cookbook storage, the cookbooks we love to gift, and the ones on our wish lists.   Mentioned on the show: Joy the Baker cookbook and blog Magnolia Table cookbook Half the Sugar, All the Lov...

Under-buyer or over-buyer? From socks past their expiration date to an abundance of paper products, today we explore our buying habits (can you guess who's who?) and how they translate to our lives. Mentioned on the show: Over- and Under-Buyer quiz Pilot FriXion Clicker erasable pen   Connect with us on Instagram at @higirlsnextdoor and on Facebook . Sign up for our newsletter and see show no...

We're sharing an update on how this very different school year is going for us. Erica is homeschooling her girls and Kelsey's boys are in an online program through a local charter school. We share the challenging, the pleasantly surprising, and our tips for making it work. Whatever school looks like for you this year we are cheering for you! Mentioned on the show: Life Updates & Text Your Spou...

Welcome to Fall Extravaganza! This is our 7th annual episode unabashedly dedicated to all things fall. So light a candle, grab something pumpkin spice, and get ready for fall on full blast. And speaking of fall traditions, we want to encourage you to take part in the most important fall tradition: voting! For information about voting including how to vote by mail visit Vote.org which explains ever...

During this global pandemic self-care looks different even as it is evermore important. So share the ways we're taking care of ourselves across our physical, mental, spiritual, social, and emotional health. We hope you are finding ways to take gentle care of yourselves, friends. Mentioned on the show: Outdoor runs on the Peloton app Happy Planner Big Paper Punch 11 Hole Punch Plastic Book Binding...

Back when 2020 was shiny and full of hope we shared our intentions for the year. Today we're checking in to see how those intentions have shaped our lives. We also share what we're recommitting to, what we're letting go, and what's helping us to reclaim this year that has felt so out of our control. We also want to let you know that we've decided to skip the book club episode on The Giver of Stars...

Hi friends! We've had life happening lately so this week's episode will be delayed. But in the meantime we would love to hear your suggestions for our annual Fall Extravaganza episode! Send us an email at higirlsnextdoor@gmail.com or message us on Instagram . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No matter what school looks like for your family the joy of new school supplies can unite us all. We're sharing our favorite school supplies, recommendations for lunch boxes and backpacks, and what we're treating ourselves to for back to school. Mentioned on the show: Ticonderoga pencils Pencil sharpener Pip Squeaks markers Plastic pencil box Clear plastic supply caddy Old Navy face masks EasyLunc...

Hi friends! This is the first "real time" episode we've recorded since early March and, well, a lot has changed! So instead of a book club episode we're bringing you up to speed on what's going on with us. We share how the global pandemic has been impacting our lives, what we're doing for school this year, and the things helping us stay sane. This is a hard season for us all and we are wishing you...

In every household there's plenty of work to go around. We chat about what the breakdown looks like in our marriages: the tasks on each of our plates, how we communicate about the division of labor, and which chores we wish we could outsource forever. Mentioned on the show: Our previous episodes talking about topics in marriage: Dr. Fitness & Marriage Maintenance , Marriage & Putzy Husband...

From playing piano and cooking to decorating and more, we reflect on how we are minor experts. Plus the minor expertise we might like to develop one day and the minor expertise we have no interest in acquiring. In Obsessions, Erica loves the book she's reading and Kelsey loves her morning smoothie. In Neighborhood News, a backyard was momentarily aflame alarmingly close to Kelsey's house. We'll be...

"But I waaaaant it!" That's not fair!" The gimmies and whining from our kids is not our favorite. We chat about how we handle these behaviors in the moment, bigger picture strategies to head them off, and how the gimmies and whining is different between toddlers and big kids. We'll be reading The Giver of Stars for our summer book club. The episode will air on July 29 so grab a copy or listen to t...

From sex to race and faith, kids have questions about topics that can feel tricky to talk about. We share how we handle these hard conversations in our families, which topics are most challenging for us, and our favorite resources for guidance. In Obsessions Kelsey has a new love for an old snack and Erica is bringing Hogwarts into her home. Mentioned on the show: The Baby Tree From Diapers to Dat...

With summer on the horizon we reflect on what we will NOT be doing this summer. Plus we share strategies to reset a hot mess of summer day for the kids and for us (not that we'll have any of those). In Obsessions, Erica is on the hunt for the perfect outdoor furniture while Kelsey is loving drawer organization. In Neighborhood News there's an adorable, unintentional therapy dog in Erica's neighbor...

For spring book club we discuss Mary Beth Keane's novel Ask Again, Yes which asks, "how much can a family forgive?"   Connect with us on Instagram at @higirlsnextdoor and on Facebook . Sign up for our newsletter and see show notes on our website: girlnextdoorpodcast.com We love to get your emails: higirlsnextdoor@gmail.com Your reviews on Apple Podcasts really help the show - thank you! Hoste...

We're chatting about keeping a kitchen, from favorite appliances and tools, to pantry staples and tips for cleaning and organizing. In Obsessions Erica is getting hydrated and Kelsey can't stop making banana bread. In Neighborhood News Erica spotted a not-so-welcome neighbor. Our spring book club episode will air May 6 and we'll be reading Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane. Mentioned on the show:...

From crafts to pretend play to arcades we are saying "no" and owning not being fun moms. We chat about the cultural pressure to be a "fun mom" and all the ways we aren't fun, but also a few ways that we actually are fun. In Obsessions Kelsey is getting chatty and Erica is rocking some new favorite jeans. In Neighborhood News there was a brief but exciting weather event. Mentioned on the show: Sign...

We have lots of love for our adopted hometown of Gilbert, Arizona and we're telling you all about it. If you're planning a visit to Gilbert, this episode is a must-listen! We share how we ended up in the desert, our favorite restaurants, and recommendations for things to do. Plus how we'd like to see Gilbert change in the coming years. In Obsessions Erica is reading a book that pays homage to her...

When we've been expecting little ones our nesting energy kicks into over-drive. We chat about what nesting has looked like for us, what we're glad we did, what we obsessed about a little too much, and what Kelsey's doing to get ready for Baby Girl Wharton. In Obsessions Kelsey in loving something stripey and Erica is amazed at the versatility of a previously overlooked common item. In Neighborhood...

For winter book club we're discussing Diane Setterfield's rich, cozy, and slightly eerie novel Once Upon A River . If you enjoy this book we'd also recommend her other novel, The Thirteenth Tale . We also discover that Setterfield has the most badass author photo and we wish we were friends with her: Connect with us on Instagram at @higirlsnextdoor and on Facebook . Sign up for our newsletter and...