A mix of community planning and everyday life: Kelly and Lizz lay out details for an upcoming auto show, including ticket timing and a VIP-night-style $20 grab-bag raffle where every item is worth more than $20. Between event logistics and DC traffic/toll talk, the conversation shifts into what they learned at an IIHS/Mazda safety event—crumple zones, rollover testing, and crash-prevention scenarios. The episode ends with a calmer theme: “the power of a quilt under a tree,” paired with summer routines and meal timing.
The Car Mom Auto Show is just 10 days away! The ladies are in full prep mode getting everything ready for the big weekend. There will be SO much to see and do at the show and it's not too late to get your tickets. CLICK HERE to get yours!
It's been a whirlwind week for Kelly. It all started in Washington D.C. to visit the IIHS headquarters and witness a crash test in real life. She learned so much and had some great conversations with Mazda. Did you know they are the safest cars on the market? Then it was off to brother Craig's engagement party. It was derby themed and the entire family showed up. Let's just say Kris knows how to throw a party!
Updates on the podcast for the summer are here, and it's a good news/bad news situation. The bad news? They'll go down to one episode a week. The good news? Side Hustle Summer is BACK! If you've got a side hustle feel free to reach out to Kelly or Lizz. But the biggest podcast update: Has Kelly finished the book she was supposed to read for the podcast book club? The answer will probably not surprise you...
Kelly's lack of reading could be because she is fully immersing herself in summer with the family. It might not feel like summer yet, but she's not delaying the summer joy. She bought the watermelon. They started the tie-dyeing. Summer starts NOW! She reveals her family's daily summer schedule on today's podcast. Plus, an easy summer dinner in Ditch the Drive Thru reminds you to unleash the power of the Hawaiian roll sliders.
"And it's like, right, because that was before crumple zones existed. The more crashed, I'm not take this with a grain of salt, but like it's almost like the more crashed a car looks, the better job it did absorbing the impact and protecting the passengers on the inside."
Crumple zones are parts of the car that are designed to fold up in a crash. That controlled “give” helps protect the people inside by taking the hit instead of the cabin.
Crumple zones are engineered areas in a car’s body designed to deform in a crash. By collapsing in a controlled way, they help absorb impact energy and reduce the forces reaching the passenger compartment.
"The more crashed, I'm not take this with a grain of salt, but like it's almost like the more crashed a car looks, the better job it did absorbing the impact and protecting the passengers on the inside."
In a crash, the car has to deal with a lot of energy. Safety design helps spread and reduce that energy so it doesn’t slam into the people inside as hard.
In crash safety, “absorbing the impact” refers to how a vehicle manages crash energy. Modern designs use controlled deformation (like crumple zones) so the energy is dissipated rather than transmitted directly to occupants.
"I think the craziest thing I saw was their rollover crash test, which so like basically there's federal standards."
A rollover crash test checks how safe a car is if it flips onto its side or roof. It’s mainly about whether the roof and cabin stay strong enough to protect people.
A rollover crash test evaluates how well a vehicle protects occupants if it tips onto its side or roof. These tests look at roof strength, occupant space, and how the vehicle’s structure holds up during the roll.
"I think the craziest thing I saw was their rollover crash test, which so like basically there's federal standards. And a lot of the times the federal standards are just not up to snuff with the IHS."
Federal standards are the safety rules the government requires cars to meet. The point here is that the speaker thinks some cars can pass the minimum rules but still not be as well-protected as better-tested designs.
Federal standards are government-mandated safety requirements for vehicles, including crashworthiness and testing rules. The speaker suggests that these baseline rules may not be as demanding as the independent testing organization’s criteria.
"And from 2009 to 2022, the rollover crashing that the government mandated was like lame.
[913.7s] Like it was one and a half times the car's weight they had to pass to, to meet, to meet the rollover standards."
Rollover standards are government safety requirements that define how vehicles must be tested and evaluated for their tendency to roll over in crashes. In this segment, the host discusses mandated rollover test conditions and how the testing “math” and test severity were set to better represent high-speed scenarios.
"it's an O nine sportage versus an O nine Tiguan.
[942.0s] Same cars past the same federal regulations.
[945.3s] I'm doing air quotes when I say that one.
[948.3s] The sportage moved 15 inches on the rollover and the Tiguan moved one."
The Kia Sportage is an SUV. Here it’s being tested in a crash/rollover setup, and the host compares how it behaves versus another SUV under the same safety rules.
The Kia Sportage is a compact SUV that, in this segment, is being compared against the Volkswagen Tiguan under the same federal rollover and crash-testing rules. The host focuses on how much the vehicle moved during the rollover test, which is a key indicator of rollover behavior and safety performance.
"it's an O nine sportage versus an O nine Tiguan.
[942.0s] Same cars past the same federal regulations.
[945.3s] I'm doing air quotes when I say that one.
[948.3s] The sportage moved 15 inches on the rollover and the Tiguan moved one."
The Volkswagen Tiguan is an SUV. In this story, it’s compared to the Kia Sportage in a safety test, and the host says it moved much less during the rollover.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is another compact SUV used in the segment as a comparison point for rollover testing outcomes. The host claims the Tiguan moved far less than the Sportage in the rollover test, suggesting different rollover dynamics even when both are tested under federal regulations.
"And he takes his feet off the brake and we just wait for the Mazda automatic braking to kick in.
[987.1s] Oh my gosh.
[988.2s] And I guess it didn't pass."
Automatic braking is a safety feature that can slow the car down by itself if it thinks a crash is about to happen. In the segment, they test it by not braking and seeing whether the system stops in time.
Automatic braking (often called automatic emergency braking) is a driver-assistance system that detects an imminent collision and applies the brakes without the driver pressing the pedal. Here, the host describes taking their feet off the brake and waiting for the system to activate during a controlled track test, then concluding it “didn’t pass.”
"And don't forget to use our link so they know we sent you. And then we got to see the crashes at the CX-5. So fun fact about Mazda is they are the most awarded brand by the IAHS."
The Mazda CX-5 is a small SUV made for regular everyday trips. It’s meant to be comfortable and roomy enough for passengers and cargo. The podcast mentions it because it’s been recognized for safety and crash performance.
The Mazda CX-5 is a compact crossover SUV designed for everyday driving with a comfortable ride and practical interior space. It often comes up in discussions about safety and awards, which is why it’s mentioned alongside crash-related content and Mazda’s recognition. In a podcast, it’s a common “real-world” vehicle example because many people consider it as a family or commuter SUV.
"Now, do I have my grasp about Mazda? Yes. And you know what? They came out to me and they go, we saw your CX-90 video and we're going to bring all your design critiques at the next meeting when I go to Japan."
The Mazda CX-90 is Mazda’s bigger family SUV with three rows. Here, the host is saying Mazda people watched her video and might make changes to things inside the cabin—like vents overhead and more room for legs.
The Mazda CX-90 is Mazda’s large three-row SUV, built to compete with other family-focused crossovers. In this segment, the speaker talks about design critiques and specific cabin features they hope Mazda will improve, like ceiling vents and more space for passengers.
"So I was like, okay. So maybe we will get ceiling vents one day in the CX-90 and a little bit more leg room."
Ceiling vents are the AC vents you can find up near the roof. They’re meant to blow air toward the back seats so rear passengers get more comfortable airflow.
Ceiling vents are air-conditioning outlets mounted overhead, typically aimed at rear passengers in a vehicle with multiple rows. They help distribute cooled or heated air more evenly to people farther back in the cabin.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome to the Carpool podcast with Kelly.
Eastern Motors has a jingle. It is my new vocal stem.
It goes, Eastern Motors, motors, your job's your credit, credit.
I'm obsessed.
And Liz.
Because when I hate this when you're pregnant and then you order a mocktail and they bring
it to you and a plastic cup with a lid on it and like, you know, 10 cherries and you're
like, okay.
Your mom time off starts now.
Welcome back to the Carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz.
Hey, Larry's.
What up, girl?
Mainly my blood pressure.
Totally.
You know, my cortisol.
Blood pressure.
Uh-huh.
My weight up.
But to be expected.
Yeah.
The auto show is in 12 days from the time that there was recording, 10 days from the
time that you're listening to this episode.
And I think the most important thing to realize is it's not too late to get your tickets at
thecarmom.com.
Guys, I have been nonstop working on this closet sale.
Like it's kind of my, I'm kind of, I've kind of fully taken it over.
Chris dropped off so much stuff.
That's our mother, if you don't know.
So much stuff.
She was saving stuff to try and like get a rack at a resale shop so she could resale
clothes, you know, make a little side money.
But realistically, like she maybe wasn't ever actually going to do that.
So she's like, whatever, I won't do it.
I will just donate all of these clothes.
So they're like really nice brands.
Like I'm like, how do I price a thousand dollar dress for a charitable resale?
Like I don't know the appropriate.
Right.
Because pricing for a closet sale when all the proceeds go to charity is a little sticky
because this isn't a garage sale.
This isn't a resale shop.
I want the things to go because I want to raise the money.
Will we haggle?
No, it's, we're not haggling.
No, I mean, I just think you, it's also tricky too.
Cause I like, they're, yeah, like they're used, they're used close.
Like, yeah, garage sale pricing would be much different than this, but I'm like, okay,
I'm sorry.
It's like a hundred and eighty dollar dress with tags on it.
Seventy dollars is a great deal.
And you're half off.
And you're basically making, you're making a charitable donation and you're getting
something.
That's why I love to draw.
Exactly.
So anyway, my point being also save you haven't bought your tickets for the auto show.
Like at the very least it's worth doing for this closet sale because it's insane.
And I still have to pick up the stuff from Merrick, which I'm sure she's going to have.
She said she has a lot.
She's like, Liz, tell me how much you want because like I have, I could, I could give
you a lot or I, I don't have to give you that much.
I'm like, Merrick, give me what you got girl.
No, everyone's getting into it.
Tyler recently, Tyler's feet grew recently, which was like so random.
And one thing about my husband is like, if he finds something he likes, he will buy it
in every color.
So he found these to Covis boots that he loved and he bought them like two years ago, like
dress boots, like not even cow, but it's like more of a dress boot and he outgrew them.
And so then he went and bought three more pairs of these to Covis boots.
Like he doesn't spend any money on clothes.
This is, this is all he does.
And so he has three pairs of your, if your husband is a size 10 wide.
Tyler's got some shoes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And if you're a size, size eight to nine and shoe, like it's going to be a heyday,
like for females.
Um, yeah.
So anyway, I told Tyler a joke this morning about his feet growing.
He called me about something and he was telling me he was donating his to Covis and he was
like, it's the weirdest thing.
My feet grow.
I'm like, well, Tyler pregnancy does that to you.
He's like, I'm stealing that or whatever.
Anyone else I'm going to say after my fourth pregnancy, kid.
Tyler is so funny.
He will literally like trial joke.
He like, he's like, this is going to be my new joke.
And he'll like tell it to me.
And I'm like, I think, I think you need to workshop it.
And then like, I'll hear him.
No, it is good.
That one is good.
But he has other ones that, um, you know, I think they need to be workshops, but also
I feel like when I don't think tellers funny, everyone else thinks he's so funny.
Yeah.
Do you know what I mean?
Tyler's, uh, charming.
Tyler is charming.
He has a, he has a charm to him that even like, even if you tried to say the exact same
thing in the exact same delivery and the exact same cadence, it would fall so flat.
But because Tyler said it, it lands.
Mm hmm.
Anyway, I think our goal for the closet sale is like, so it'll be open at the VIP night.
And I'm hoping we make a dent in it at the VIP night.
Mm hmm.
VIP night prices will be set.
And then I think like when the auto show starts, like those prices will be set.
And then I would imagine around one, we'll start discounting what's on the tag.
And there's a little bit of everything.
Like some stuff is there's, there, I've got a $2 price tag and I've got, you know, $100
price tag.
So there's just like kind of everything in between.
So anyway, I'm very excited about it.
I know.
Me too.
Me too.
I mean, there's some good stuff in here.
I'm like, hmm, are we sure we want to get rid of this?
But then you remember it's for charity and you're like, yes, I do.
Yeah, I know.
It makes it a lot easier.
It does make it easier.
Well, while you're working on that, I've got my niece and Hattie upstairs working
on the grab bags.
Also so fun.
Also so fun for charity.
Grab bags, duck pond, whatever you want to call it.
Basically how it will work is if you're at the auto show or the VIP night, you'll come
and you'll pay $20 cash or, I don't know, I guess card.
We'll figure it out.
I would probably buy like two or three because like you spend 60 bucks.
Every item in there is worth more than $20.
So that's what they're doing right now.
They're going through all of my items and making sure something's not over $20.
They're matching it with an item so like the bag is worth over $20.
And I was looking at like their spreadsheet.
This is also a great lesson for both of them.
Hattie's helping, you know, my other niece Evelyn is like on the computer doing it.
And there is a cream in there that is worth $210.
Oh my gosh.
And one of you is going to get it for 20 bucks.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's crazy.
I mean, I got it for free.
So like I am passing that on.
But there are some high ticket creams, hair products, jewelry, so fun.
Not too late.
Get your tickets at thecarmom.com.
All of that.
And we haven't even talked about the cars and the other activations we're going to have.
Like it is the event of the summer.
People are saying.
I know.
We've outgrown this space.
Like this will be our problem potentially our last time at this venue.
Like we're going to need a bigger venue.
I know.
What's next?
Like a convention center?
I guess.
We could fill it easy.
I know.
We could fill it easy.
Anyways, here nor there.
Since last week spoke, I have lived 10 lives.
Because we couldn't get two episodes in last week.
So sorry because ya girl was jet setting.
Yeah.
I spent three days in DC.
Not my favorite town.
The traffic was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
Yeah.
And get this, Elizabeth.
In DC.
You have to pay to use the highway.
So like a toll.
So yeah, they have tolls everywhere.
Like I'm always seeing tolls.
But then they have then the traffic is horrible.
And then they have these lanes that you can pay to go in these lanes that are going fast.
And it's like 17 to $50.
To go in the lanes that are moving.
Oh my gosh.
Crazy.
That is crazy.
Hey, if you guys just opened up the other lanes, there wouldn't be this much traffic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And sort of putting a price black behind it.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
This is a free country.
And they have tolls.
So I'm just like, and in St. Louis, we don't have a single toll.
No.
There's not a toll to be found.
Our highway is free.
Another reason to come to the auto show.
Or move here.
So I was like really shook by the traffic.
And at one point I went to go, one of our aunt lives in DC.
So I went to go meet her for dinner.
And from Sam's house where I was staying, the restaurant was like 40 minutes away,
which was a little far, but like I live 40 minutes from everything.
So I was expecting that.
So I get in the car.
I turn on a podcast.
I start driving.
I'm 30 minutes into my drive.
I look down.
I'm still 40 minutes away.
Like it wasn't, I wasn't moving.
That's crazy.
Like I was moving, but the traffic was like kept getting worse and worse and worse.
That by like, by the time I actually got there, it took me an hour and a half to go.
Wait for it.
To go away for it was 17 miles an hour and a half.
And then I was going on Zillow because I love when I go to a new place and like explore the Zillow.
I just want to know what I'm getting.
I want to know what the houses are worth.
Oh my gosh.
So expensive.
Like $1.5 million for what in Missouri would seriously, seriously be a $400,000 house.
Oh my gosh.
It was crazy.
The prices of the houses.
I didn't know DC was so like happening.
Like I get it's like the capital, like all the politicians are at, but like, I didn't realize that.
It was like, I couldn't believe the prices of the houses.
Like I could not believe it.
I don't.
That and the highway.
And you have to pay to use the highway.
Okay.
But how was the IHS?
Okay.
So the IHS.
So I went for, I went, I went for two reasons.
One, I went for a Capital One event.
I was interviewing this guy who runs a dealership called Eastern Motors.
Eastern Motors has a jingle that I know you've been singing it nonstop.
It is my new vocal stem.
It goes, Eastern Motors, motors, your job's your credit, credit.
At Eastern Motors, motors, your job's your credit, credit.
I'm obsessed.
Bring back jingles.
I haven't seen a good jingle in a while.
No, that's true.
It used to be, give me a break, break me off a piece of that.
Okay, cat bar.
Where are the jingles?
When's the last time you heard a good jingle?
Well, yeah, not like a good neighbor.
State Farm is there.
Speaking of a most recent ad.
That's the only one I could think of.
I'm looking at modern jingles.
Instead of lengthy lyrics, brands use audio signatures to build immediate recognition,
optimizing for short skippable formats.
So they're thinking like McDonald's, ba-da-ba-ba-ba.
We should do a great, I'm not ready to do it today,
but we should do a great eight of the best jingles.
Yeah, okay.
I think we can bring back the great eight for that, for that reason.
So anyway, the IIHS, Kelly, stay with me here.
So anyway, at this dealership I was at, it was incredible.
They sell 10,000 used cars a year.
And it was like, it was what I would call a used car factory.
So we were at their headquarters and like a car would come in that they bought from the auction.
And then it's this huge warehouse and they have signs over the sections of the warehouse.
And it was like detail shop, parts department, paint, tire and wheel.
And these cars go through this little factory to get ready for retail.
It was so cool.
It was a really great, really great dealer experience.
Okay, so then I went to the IIHS and so Mazda invited 40 creators there.
And they were talking a lot about why the number 40 was so important.
And that has since escaped my mind.
40,000 people still die on the road every year, which was like kind of a lot.
Kind of hated hearing that.
And then there was a good thing about 40.
And then there was 40 of us.
I really wish I could remember more.
Anyway, so there was a big batch of like, there was a wide net of creators.
There was not that many auto, actually very little auto.
I think there's only three of us who were auto related.
And then there was a lot of like lifestyle, parenting, good storytellers, which I'm not a great storyteller.
So I'm happy like they're there to capture the story.
But this was mine and Sam's Super Bowl.
It was her birthday and she literally, I don't think could have spent her birthday at a better spot for her.
It was the most interesting morning of my life.
Like I couldn't believe it was so cool to see the cars crash tested.
It was so cool to hear about their process.
And like I knew all of these things, but to really see them in action, to see the crash checks and to see what a well oiled machine they are.
Like if the IHS has no fans, I've passed away because I am their biggest stand.
I'm their biggest fan.
They are doing no, no, not to be dramatic, life saving work, the Lord's work.
Was it jarring to like walk through that hall with all the crashed cars and just like to see a freaking giant SUV just destroyed?
So there's so much about this.
And I really think again, I need, I am kind of like the, the IHS is a mouthpiece.
I am not paid by them in any capacity, but like I feel like I have to be the one to deliver the message to people.
Because people will always send me this reel of an old car, a super old car, like hitting a pole and then a new car hitting a pole.
And the new car has a lot more damage on it than the old car.
And everyone's like, they don't build them like they used to.
And it's like, right, because that was before crumple zones existed.
The more crashed, I'm not take this with a grain of salt, but like it's almost like the more crashed a car looks, the better job it did absorbing the impact and protecting the passengers on the inside.
Like they are designed to crumple.
That's when people are always like, my car was completely destroyed, but we were fine.
It's like, I know, that's the point.
Interesting.
The more, you know what I'm saying?
Like the more a car compacts, the more it absorbs the impact.
So it really isn't that jarring because I'm like, that's, that's the sign of a, well, that's the sign of a safe car.
Do you know what I mean?
That's so interesting.
Yeah.
Very interesting.
I think the craziest thing I saw was their rollover crash test, which so like basically there's federal standards.
And a lot of the times the federal standards are just not up to snuff with the IHS.
The IHS is like, that sucks.
I want more.
And from 2009 to 2022, the rollover crashing that the government mandated was like lame.
Like it was one and a half times the car's weight they had to pass to, to meet, to meet the rollover standards.
But the IHS is like, well, if you're going at a high speed, like one and a half times the weight of the car is the math isn't mathing for lack of better words.
So the IHS is like, we're going to test it at four times the amount.
And I posted a real go back and watch it if you have it.
The real is not, the real is not getting enough love because it is one of the most interesting rules I ever made, but it's an O nine sportage versus an O nine Tiguan.
Same cars past the same federal regulations.
I'm doing air quotes when I say that one.
The sportage moved 15 inches on the rollover and the Tiguan moved one.
It was crazy to see the side by side.
And then this was really fun.
Then we got to go out to the track and we got to test their crash prevention tech.
That's spooky.
And they were like, does anyone want to ride while we do it?
And I'm like, get me in the car.
So basically I got in the car with this guy.
He goes up to 25 miles an hour.
There's like a barrier.
It's not a styrofoam, but like you still don't want to hit it.
Yeah, it's a fake car made out of styrofoam.
And he takes his feet off the brake and we just wait for the Mazda automatic braking to kick in.
Oh my gosh.
And I guess it didn't pass.
It passed with flying colors.
Like I love crash prevention tech and then they do a lot of night tests.
They do pedestrian.
They do motorcycle.
Like it is so cool.
If I was smarter, I would love to work there because I'm definitely not an engineer.
Like I could never know.
Like I do think if you are like, if you do have that brain capacity though,
and you are an engineer, like what a fun dream job.
What a fun place to work.
This episode is brought to you by Careway.
I've been using Careway for years now and I absolutely love my Careway set.
It is easy to use.
It's easy to clean.
They're beautiful.
But what I also really love about all my Careway products is they are visually appealing
and they always come with some sort of organization that just makes my kitchen feel less cluttered.
And that's something that's very important to me.
I have their knife and utensil set displayed on my counter.
I get compliments on it all the time.
It's so unique.
It's so beautiful.
It's so sleek and they don't give you too much stuff.
They give you exactly what you need.
That's something I learned in my decluttering series is we have multiples of everything
when that's simply if it's too much.
I love that Careway gives you a visually calm, beautiful organization set, beautiful cookware,
and it's also clean and effective.
So right now you can save up to $230 on the 12 piece cookware set versus buying the products individually.
If you spend over $495, you'll receive ButcherBox for free.
Plus, if you spend over $795, you can also get a free cast iron grill pan.
So visit carewayhome.com slash carpool10 to take an additional 10% off your next purchase.
This deal is exclusive for our listeners.
So visit carewayhome.com slash carpool10 or use code carpool10 to check out.
Today's episode is brought to you by ButcherBox.
Grilling season is here and it's the perfect time to upgrade how you shop for meat.
Instead of making those last minute grocery runs and hoping for the best,
ButcherBox keeps you stocked with high quality options year round.
So when it's time to grill, you're already set.
Can't tell you how many times my deep freeze has come in handy or just having frozen meat on hand
because maybe I forgot to go to the store and we don't have anything for dinner.
Something we're always going to have on hand is meat.
So at the very least, we're having some good high quality meat.
ButcherBox delivers over 100 premium protein options straight to your door from grass fed
beef to wild caught seafood.
It's all raised and sourced the right way.
No antibiotics, no added hormones, no fillers, just clean, reliable protein.
You can feel good serving.
You can genuinely tell the difference in quality.
And as an exclusive offer, new listeners can get their choice between free sirloin tips,
ground beef, or chicken wings in every box for life plus $20 off when you go to butcherbox.com slash carpool.
That's right, your choice of free sirloin tips, ground beef, or chicken wings in every box for life
plus $20 off your first box and free shipping always.
That's butcherbox.com slash carpool.
And don't forget to use our link so they know we sent you.
And then we got to see the crashes at the CX-5.
So fun fact about Mazda is they are the most awarded brand by the IAHS.
They also recently just clinched Consumer Reports safest car brand.
So it is kind of all coming up Mazda in terms of safety.
This was kind of news to me.
Well, kind of news to me too.
I honestly think Mazda needs to do a better job of like getting that.
I mean, I guess that's why they hired a bunch of creators, but I agree.
That needs to be because when I think safety, I'm sorry, I'm still thinking Subaru Volvo.
Yeah, Mazda did not cross my mind.
No, now it will.
It needs to be.
And we saw the CX-5 get crushed and we're not allowed to speculate how it did.
Okay.
So I can't say anything about that.
But if they do get this award, it will be their 100th IAHS top safety pick award.
Well, I mean, I'm sure if they invited everyone out and like gave these details,
they're probably pretty confident in.
People were smiling.
The Mazda crew was smiling after after the crash.
But we're not speculating.
I'm not speculating.
I'm just saying they were all very excited.
Okay.
Yeah.
So we'll see what happens.
And yeah, it was just insane.
Now, do I have my grasp about Mazda?
Yes.
And you know what?
They came out to me and they go, we saw your CX-90 video and we're going to bring all your
design critiques at the next meeting when I go to Japan.
That's what this woman told me.
Oh my gosh.
Okay.
That's crazy.
I know.
So I was like, okay.
So maybe we will get ceiling vents one day in the CX-90 and a little bit more leg room.
And maybe they'll stop, you know, measuring the.
I'm never mind.
Um, so you did that.
And then this weekend we had such a fun party.
We had our brother's engagement party.
So it was Derby themed.
Our brother and our brother Craig and his fiance Charlotte.
Everyone dressed to the nines.
Everyone had a hat.
It was so much fun.
And then Chris, she wanted to make sure she had all the Southern flair.
Like she had the decor.
She like, it was lovely.
And our sisters came in town for it.
Like the whole family was there.
We were together for like, you know, a few hours for the first time in months.
I know.
I know.
I miss her so much.
It was kind of like, so it was not enough time with the sisters, but there's just a no
party like a centra party.
I'm sorry.
We're just, we're so fun.
Chris is really good at planning a party.
Our mother is incredible at planning a party.
And our dad has really good energy.
And dad has good energy and pace for the party.
And it's fun.
And a checkbook.
He can't tell our mother no.
So it's just like all works out well.
It was so much fun.
I love an engagement party.
I remember my engaged party being the most fun because it's the first time that you're
kind of like getting together with like the other family.
And this is going to be, we're going to be together a lot because their wedding is in
England next summer.
So like, we're all going to be traveling together.
So it's just like such a fun way to kick off this actual year of an engagement.
No, I totally agree.
I'm not the biggest themed party person, but the Derby theme was an excellent theme.
I love a theme, Cal.
Yeah, I know.
You love a theme.
I'm not the biggest themed party girl, but this was a really fun way just to get everybody
dressed up.
So everyone, because when you're dressed up, sometimes you have more fun.
You definitely have more fun when you're dressed up.
So that was really fun.
It's a good conversation starter too.
And like people definitely got more dressed up than they would have if we just said it
was an engagement party.
For sure.
Don't you think?
For sure.
Yeah.
Mom did a really good job of having like, you know, fun cocktails.
So we had Hugo Spritz.
We had Mint Juleps.
We had Palomas.
Did you hear how stressed out mom was about her cocktails though?
Why?
She told me or Sidney came over to my house and told me she was, oh, mom's so stressed
out because she said that the Mint Juleps are supposed to have crushed ice and she doesn't
know where she's going to get crushed ice from.
And it's not going to be an authentic Mint Julep who doesn't have crushed ice.
She was literally considering like going to like Sonic and getting a bunch of crushed
ice.
She's so crazy.
So she could be like authentic.
Like this is how, how intense she is about it.
But I don't know if there was crushed ice.
I don't know if anyone missed it or not.
I wasn't obviously partaking.
I did ask though the waitress if she could bring me a Shirley Temple in a cocktail glass
though, because when I hate this, when you're pregnant and then you order a mocktail and
they bring it to you in a plastic cup with a lid on it and like, you know, 10 cherries
and you're like, okay.
But I don't, but I also don't want people to think that I'm drinking because I'm not,
but like also like let me act like I'm, I don't want to look like a kid.
You don't want to be having the same drink as George and Hattie at the party.
Exactly.
Even the same cup.
The same drink as George and Hattie at the party.
Totally.
So that's my hack is to order it in a cocktail glass.
Do you want to know my hack for Shirley Temples?
Yes.
With your kids?
Yes.
Club soda and grenadine.
Nix the Sprite.
Yeah.
Not as good, does check the box and they're not drinking so much sugar.
And they probably don't want as many I imagine because it's nice.
No, doesn't go down quite as good, but like it's still good enough.
I do that a lot.
Yeah.
And I did bring George and Hattie to the party, which was so fun to just like be a mom of like,
you know, a seven and five year old and like, who am I?
I know they were so well behaved.
I loved your conversation cards that you had for Hattie.
So I, George is really, George is really social.
Like George has no problem talking to grownups.
I mean, he could always practice, but like I wanted to give Hattie like something to fall back on,
but it is really important to Tyler and I that our kids know how to have adult conversations.
And I wanted my kids to go around and talk to people who they don't see a lot, who they know,
but they don't see a lot.
So I had these kids conversation cards that someone gave to me and I gave them to Hattie
and I would read the card and read the question and then answer it.
So then like the cards would say things like, what's the grossest food you ever tried?
What's your favorite season?
What do you like to, my question I got was what, what, what do you like to do on your birthday?
Cute.
Like they were very cute, easy to answer.
What superpower would you have?
But like kids, kids would find it interesting and kids could maybe then respond.
So then the thing was like grownups would tell Hattie and then the grownups would like ask Hattie to respond to them
and like, you know, then it wasn't a long conversation, but you know, a minute, a minute and a half for a bunch of grownups
and she had a lot of fun going around and having those conversations.
And I just think it was really good practice.
She was so cute.
She was even asking the waitresses.
I know I saw like one of the waitresses was like hunched down having a conversation with her.
I'm like, oh, this is so cute.
It's just, it was very sweet and I was very proud of her for going around and doing it.
I was too.
It's a really good idea.
Thank you.
I was very proud of my idea.
It really stretched Hattie and I thought she would, I was going to make George do it with her.
But I'm happy I didn't.
I'm happy that she just did it on her own.
I did a couple of her.
Well, I think George would have taken over.
I know.
And that's the thing.
And that's what you do remember sometimes is sometimes they need to be separated.
So Hattie can flourish and grow and not be over.
I don't like the word overshadow, but like George just has a really strong loud outgoing personality.
Yeah.
But yeah, I was that's a total hack.
Where can you get those on Amazon or where do you get?
Yeah, I just linked them on my stories.
They're not the exact ones I have, but like any will do.
And also like do it on index cards.
Like you don't have to like Google questions, do it on index cards.
Have your kids practice their handwriting.
Like it's just a fun thing to do at your next like adult party.
Yeah.
Totally.
Very cute.
And I really enjoyed bringing my kids.
I mean, I like, I don't like to chase babies and toddlers around.
I have no problem taking Hattie to the bathroom, you know, getting them a plate of chicken fingers
and like showing off how darling my kids are.
Like I actually really enjoyed B.
I had more fun with them there than with them.
Not there.
I agree.
George is a sprinkler on the dance floor.
Howdy got a tambourine.
Yeah.
Howdy was doing backwards and results in the dance floor actually.
So howdy, howdy did her version of the splits?
You know, it was, they brought the energy.
They brought the Tyler Stumpy energy.
We all know and expect.
Totally.
So funny.
And now, yeah, so now it's just full blown auto show, show.
I am excited.
It's in the beginning of the summer this year.
So we can kind of like, no offense, get the anxiety over with.
Yeah.
I need it to be over.
And then we have to start talking about baby St.
Johnny.
I know.
I know.
I know.
I'm kind of starting.
I'm starting to order some stuff and just prepare stuff.
Like I'm kind of getting a pit in my stomach about not only like having a baby, but like
giving birth and recovering and, you know, having three kids and just what that looks
like.
It's all feeling very real to me.
So I'm a little bit overwhelmed, but Maddie and I had very good conversation about it last
night.
And I have, I need like a plan of action, but like really I'm just, I'm, I need this
auto show to come and go so I can like not feel guilty about.
Yeah.
Doing thinking about it and doing other things because there's just a million things that
need to be done for work.
So and with that being said, too, with all that, I guess now would be a good time to
say that we are going to drop down to one episode a week in June in the summer.
I've been dreading, I've been dreading telling people.
So we haven't.
I know.
Um, but here's what we are going to do.
We are still going to do side hustle summer.
We actually, now would be a great time to start getting submissions for side hustle
summer.
So let me just get a few announcements out of the way.
Number one, we're going down to one episode a week.
Number two, side hustle.
Just for the summer.
Just for the summer.
We will be back.
Side hustle summer is your opportunity.
If you have a side hustle that you are doing to bring in some extra income for your family
that essentially anyone could pick up and start themselves right into hello at the car
mom official.com.
Tell us what your side hustle is.
If you have an, you know, an account, a website or anything, link it just so we can kind of
like get the vibes, get your vibes and we will pick a few people who we think have, you
know, interesting side hustles.
Like people we had last year was, um, this, the girl who does like baby storks.
Um, like when you have a baby and then they plop the storks in your yard.
That was her side hustle.
We had the marketplace mom kind of come on.
That was kind of her start to her profile.
We had, um, so it's just like, what is your side hustle?
Um, and we'll, and we will talk about how you got started, how other people get started.
And I just think we're all kind of craving a little bit of obviously extra income and
also maybe a creative outlet.
So if you have a side hustle that you think fits kind of the description I just gave,
you can write into hello at the car mom official.com.
So we will have those coming.
So depending on how long those episode, conversations go, those might be
tacked on to the end of our one episode a week, which means it'll be a really long one
episode a week, or maybe we'll release those as like a second, just like something else,
a shorter episode to listen to.
That's a good point.
We don't exactly know on what that's going to look like, but I guess we could maybe start
those like late July, late June, early July.
Today's episode is brought to you by Remy.
When I was 15, I got my braces off and I vowed to always wear my retainer because I never
wanted to have to go through the process of braces again.
And I can have, I can proudly say that since I got my braces off, I have worn my top retainer.
Every single night.
So when my sister-in-law is a dentist recommended I get a night guard for grinding and to keep
my teeth straight.
I said say less.
I'm already wearing a retainer every night.
What's to retainers.
And now I cannot sleep without my night guard and I did not realize how much I was grinding.
You can see it on the night guard.
There's a whole, I ended up putting a hole in it.
I'm already on my second night guard because I was grinding my teeth so much and I truly
had no idea.
So that's why I'm excited to talk about Remy.
Remy night guards are the only FDA cleared and clinically tested at home impression kit
night guards on the market.
Not only do they help prevent teeth damage from grinding.
They also help reduce jaw tension and facial muscle strain and improve your sleep quality.
You'll get the same professional quality and comfort as a night guard from the dentist
for 80% less of the cost by taking your own impression from the convenience of your home.
Remy also saves your impressions so you can enjoy the convenience of and savings of Remy
Club.
Well, they ship you a new top and bottom night guard every six months.
Protect your teeth with Remy by using code Carpool to get 50% off your new night guard
with Remy Club subscribe and save.
That's 50% off at shopremi.com slash Carpool with code Carpool.
Thank you Remy for sponsoring this episode.
Today's episode is brought to you by Morning Brew Daily.
If you are looking for another podcast that likes to break down maybe some traditionally
boring things but in a fun, fresh way, you should check out Morning Brew Daily.
They break down the biggest news in business every morning so it fits seamlessly into your
day.
Host Neil Freiman and Toby Howell cover everything from the latest tech headlines to I Nobody
Can Afford a House Right Now.
Their witty, informative approach makes Morning News fun, not a chore.
You'll leave each episode of Morning Brew Daily smarter and ready to take on the world around
you.
Audiences say it's the perfect addition to their morning routine.
Whether you're commuting, exercising or getting ready for the day, Morning Brew Daily makes
it easy to make sense of the world of business.
So find out what millions of listeners already know.
Business news doesn't have to be boring and potentially will give you a topic to talk
to Mark about at the trivia tournament.
So tune in to Morning Brew Daily every weekday morning wherever you get your podcasts.
And then the other thing, Kelly, that I have to ask you, that I'm kind of nervous to ask
you, is how are you doing on the book club book?
Yesterday or year?
Not good.
Because I'm finished.
Okay.
Okay.
Please don't tell me anything about it.
Let me tell you about my life right now.
First of all, you're going to make me cry because I'm so stressed out.
I have my book club tonight, like with my real book club.
They're coming over to my house tonight.
I have four hours left on the audio book.
Are you telling me that on your hour and a half drive to dinner, you chose to listen
to a podcast and not one of the two audio books that you have committed to listening to?
You need to stop listening to podcasts, Kelly.
Here's the thing.
Here's the thing.
Let me explain this to you.
One, I didn't think about yesterday or two, my book club book.
I had the physical copy and I was trying to get around to reading that before I bought
the audio book, but I ended up having to buy the audio book because I didn't have time
to read the book.
I will get yesterday.
You're done this week.
I'm going to finish this book today.
I'll power through yesterday or I heard it's kind of a dumpster fire kind of in a good
way.
I think I'll fly through it.
Yeah.
No, I was, I finished it and I was, I did find it interesting to listen to like I'm doing
the dishes when I was driving.
Like it was, I wasn't bored listening to it.
Right.
By the end of it, I was like, hmm, I don't know if I like that or hated it.
So like I'm really excited to talk about it.
Like I really need to talk about it.
Perfect.
This time next week, I will have it completed.
Excellent.
Because I do believe that was the timeline in which we set.
So totally.
So thank you for reminding me about that though.
Yeah.
I will get, I will get that done.
I am enjoying reading.
I am enjoying reading.
I'm enjoying listening because I don't read, but I do listen.
And since I finished the book, I was like, what do I do now?
Like I just liked having something to listen to.
So I need to find a new one.
So anyway, summer's in full swing over here and I have started, I feel like one thing
I want everyone to take away from this podcast episode is similar to how I feel around the
Christmas season.
You can't delay your joy this summer.
You can't delay your summer activities by like waiting for it to feel like the perfect
summer day because I think summer is a season and like for a lot of, I think some people's
kids are still in school.
That's crazy.
Not ours.
Like the time for summer is now.
Like we are in our summer vibe.
And I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago, but like my kids, we always tie-dye shirts
in the summer.
And I was, I'm telling you, I always like wait for it to be like the perfect time.
You know what I'm saying?
And I had the tie-dye kit and it was like a random Tuesday and had he's like, can we
please tie-dye?
And I was like, no, no, no, not today.
And she's like, why?
And then I was like, because it doesn't feel like summer.
Like it was kind of rainy out and like I'm a little overstimulated, but I was like, fine,
we'll just do it.
And it was the most chaotic 45 minutes of my life, not even 35 minutes of my life.
Um, but the kids had so much fun with it.
Yeah.
And I think I like to delay some, sometimes I feel like I want to delay things.
I don't want people to get burnt out on it.
Like I already bought a watermelon for the season.
Like I was like delaying buying a watermelon because I'm like, you know, it's not, I was
telling the kids, and it really, the watermelons aren't great yet.
So it's like, it's not the best time.
But I bought a watermelon yesterday and they were like, it's summer again.
You have a watermelon.
Yeah.
They were so excited.
Yeah.
And, you know, we've been swimming a lot and we've been like just in my head, like
blowing through like my plans for summer, but that's okay.
Well, I see what you mean.
I see what you mean.
Like you don't want to like totally, like some stuff you maybe do want to say for quite
literally like a rainy day, like, like an activity, but also it's like, what are you
going to, like you have literally to have all the time of the world in summer.
So it's like,
And I want to feel like that because in other aspects of my, I mean, after the show, but
even in the moments where I can, I really, you know, it was so funny.
We made fun of 90s summer a couple of episodes ago, but like the more I've reflected on it,
the more I'm like, no, I do kind of want a 90s, like slow, boring summer, boring and
fun, but just not fun all the time.
Someone made a comment on the Facebook group about us talking about the 90s summer and
they were like, similarly to like the 90s Christmas trend, maybe we just have nostalgia
to it because we had no responsibilities and like no school and like you weren't cutting
up the watermelon.
The watermelon was slice was being handed to you and you weren't setting up and cleaning
up the tie dye kit.
You were just having fun with the tie dye kit.
So I think that also the kind of the problem, but like just something about our generation
and just romanticizing things on social media.
It's like, no, you just like are romanticizing a childhood, like, which is great.
Like, and I hope everyone has romance, it can romanticize their childhood, but like there's
a portion of it that it's, that's just, it's just being a kid.
It's just, you're totally right.
It's just being a kid.
Yeah.
And now we get to be that for our, for our kids, which is fun, which is fun and exciting.
Another thing I've really enjoyed this summer so far, again, on June 1st, something like
this is just the magic and the power of taking a quilt outside and putting it under a tree.
Yeah.
And it just kind of, and if you want to like be lazy, this is working well for me.
I go under, I take a quilt, I go under a tree, I bring my phone, energy drink,
bring my ice coffee, whatever I'm sipping on.
And I just sit my butt under that tree.
And like the kids come to me as needed, but I'm sat there and I'm just relaxing there.
You need mom, here's mom.
Yeah.
Sit with me.
I'll read to you.
Go play.
But like I'm outside, but I'm not, I'm just, I'm very relaxed though.
Like I'm grounding, which I think is so important for our nervous system.
So I've really been enjoying just the power of a quilt under a tree.
And then I think it's really smart in the summer because I've already noticed like there,
the kids are being insane with the snacks.
Like we're blowing through it.
I'm not the biggest pre-packaged snack person where you just don't really do that.
We didn't grow up like that.
We grew up in an ingredient household.
Like we grew up in the most intense ingredient household you'd ever seen in your life.
You want a snack?
Here's a spoonful of peanut butter.
A peanut butter popsicle is what it's called.
Peanut butter popsicles were our snack.
All the time.
So, no, I have more snacks than I had growing up because I don't know how mom did it.
Like that was so crazy.
Like we're always so hungry.
Like we're just like bored even, you know?
But every afternoon what I've been doing is, and I'm in my disposable grind, sue me.
Don't care.
Every afternoon I have been getting ranch and veggies and just putting them out.
Every afternoon.
And some, some days it looks like the most.
Some days it looks like peppers, cucumbers, you know, combination.
The other day I literally just threw carrots.
Big carrots.
Didn't even peel them.
Whatever.
They were fine.
There's something fun about that though.
I washed them.
I washed them.
But I've been doing that every afternoon.
So I'm kind of like trying to, you know, get my summer schedule out.
So my kids wake up so early.
We do breakfast.
They get screen time until like I have my head together.
And then around eight o'clock the screens go off and breakfast is done.
And then my kids are literally ready to eat lunch by 1030.
I'm okay with that.
I let us eat lunch at 1030 because I'd rather them eat lunch than a snack.
So then we have lunch literally around 1030, sometimes 11.
Then the little kids go down for a nap.
And then when everyone wakes up, I put my veggies out, like that's what's on the menu.
And then I start cooking dinner and we eat dinner on four.
And I know that's not going to work for everybody because that just kind of our schedule allows
for it.
But I like having their meals again, where more like their snack time is and like their
snack time where more like the meals are, because then if they dinner at four and they're hungry
again at six, I'm happy to get a snack.
You had an amazing dinner.
Yeah.
It's when you snack at four, then you're not hungry at six that it's frustrating.
That it's frustrating.
And I personally, like with my health during with my diet, I really liked, I have feel
better when I stop eating earlier in the night.
I try to stop eating four hours before I go to bed just so my body can digest.
I think it's helped me a lot.
So that's another reason why I like eating dinner early.
So I don't have a snack after I, but I fill up and then, but I also know like the kids
ate before.
So I've been enjoying that.
No, that feels good.
Yeah.
I see I'm actually trying that tonight.
So like the power of just like a veggie tray or just like setting snacks out and kind of
just like leaving it.
We are starting swim lessons for James this week.
So it's the next eight weeks once a week, but it's at mom and dad's house because I
don't have a pool.
So I'm going to be, it is at five o'clock.
So I am going to be bringing dinner to mom and dad's house so my kids eat.
So I've ordered stuff for a veggie tray and I ordered stuff to make like ham and Swiss
like sliders that I'm going to put in the oven to kind of like cook them and melt them
a little bit.
I'll put them in the oven at mom's house.
But like then I just like want to set it up by the pool and just like see what happens.
And I'm really looking forward to it.
And I hope it goes well.
Always experimenting with my children and their, and their lack of eating.
Yeah.
They will catch up one day and when it doesn't like take you by such surprise.
No.
You know what?
Yesterday actually last night I made steak for dinner and since we buy like a cow, we
just get like, I pulled it out of our freezer and so it was two rib eyes.
And that's me and Maddie and the kids.
And then we also have leftovers the next day because the kids usually don't touch it.
They both ate all their steak.
I actually ran out of steak.
I was like, Maddie, you have to stop eating your steak because I'm there.
They're looking like they're going to run out and it's like we need to give them as
much as much meat as they will possibly eat.
So that was really exciting.
That is so exciting.
Yeah.
Wow.
Okay.
Okay.
So things are happening.
So that's why I'm kind of excited about and that's probably actually going to be my
ditch to the drive through tonight too is just the power of like a Hawaii like a Hawaiian
roll sliders kind of in whatever capacity that looks like for you.
Whatever meat you could do.
You could literally do anything.
You could do anything.
You could do pepperoni.
You could do like a pizza version.
You could do an Italian.
I'm going to do ham and Swiss.
You could do turkey.
You could do meatballs.
You could do burgers.
I see like ground beef burger sliders.
Yeah.
We've done that one before.
And you like pop them in the oven for a little bit and like I'm going to do like a butter
Dijon Worcestershire thing on top and it's just it's going to be delicious.
Well, don't get that Worcestershire anywhere near me, Elizabeth.
I know.
Well, that's you're not going to be there.
I figured it was.
It's Hawaiian needs a jingle.
Mm hmm.
That just seems like a good marketing strategy for them.
Yeah.
I'm so sad.
Our kids aren't growing up with jingles anymore.
I really need like, you know, what jingle what jingle is my kids are growing up with
our Daniel Tigers jingles.
The way we sing.
If you got to go potty stop and go right away.
Daniel Tiger has some good jingles.
I'm not on my Daniel Tiger grind.
It's on PBS.
It's very slow.
It's very like I like it because it's the the problems that Daniel Tiger faces are such
real world problems that the kids are going to run into.
Like, oh, I have to go to the potty, but I'm not at home.
So I have to go into a big potty at a place that I don't know.
And that's like what the entire episode is about.
Yeah.
Okay.
It's like going potty somewhere.
That's not your house and what that means.
So anyway, you should get on it.
Okay.
Well, that's going to start through them, which is good.
We kind of have to hop because we have an auto show meeting means, means,
means go, go.
So everyone thanks for listening to the podcast.
Don't worry.
We will be back on Wednesday.
Um, no, we'll be back on Friday, but I will be in Vegas, which we didn't even
talk about because our life is insane.
All right.
Well, we'll catch you next time then.
Okay.
Then bye.
Thank you for listening to the carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz.
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode.
And if you enjoyed riding with us, tell everybody, you know, there's room in the
car for everyone.
Yeah.
Request an explanation for:
4 cars
4 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.