And one thing about me, like, you, like, when it comes to, like, flight or fight, like, I'm
a flight.
Like, I'm not.
Like, I start in no exaggeration, semi-panicking.
And Liz.
And that's a weird part in your life where you, like, re-watch a show and you're like,
Oh.
Turns out I'm on the side of the parents.
Your mom time off starts now.
Welcome back to the Carpool podcast with Kelly.
And Liz.
Hey, Liz.
Do we have a show for you?
We have so much to catch up on.
Like, so much has happened in the span of a few days.
Okay, Fred.
Thank you.
Oh, you made a mess?
That's okay.
I'll get it later.
Fred took my coffee.
He's having a go wrong.
Oh, can you pick it up?
I wish you could see what I'm seeing right now.
Kelly doesn't have any child care right now.
The other kids are at school, but Fred and...
Do you know, like, just between our seven kids, it's just like, no, we don't have seven kids.
Our six kids.
Yeah.
It's exhausting.
I know.
It's exhausting.
It's so hard to find a time.
They never nap when we need them to nap.
So I'm just saying, like, these two episodes of weeks, like, don't go wrong, they're
filling my bucket in some ways and they're draining my bucket in other ways.
And I'm going to do this with both my younger kids here.
Yeah.
So, no, that's not your kids screaming in the background.
It could be Kelly's.
After I'm not going to get up from my seat, but after I'm going to take a picture of
what just happened behind me that I'm just literally ignoring, but yeah, Fred is tough
right now, mainly because we're potty training.
And I talked about this in my stories a little bit and I had some people being
like, Oh, any tips are like, how'd you know they were ready?
Let me be clear.
Fred was not ready.
Fred is probably if you if you go by quote unquote ready, Fred is not.
However, we are trying to cut out the diapers for his eczema and that's what we're doing.
So are we having accidents?
Yeah.
Left and right.
Hunter and that.
Um, am I looking for tips?
No, I'm just like, I just kind of like this own little journey that I'm on.
And let me be clear, like I know what needs to be done, but I'm telling you, it doesn't
always happen.
Yeah.
So we're working on it.
I'm kind of to the point right now.
We're like, at the end of the day, like him having an accident and cotton underwear is
better than him being in his diapers because it's honestly night and day with the diapers
due to his eczema.
Wow.
That's insane.
And even like we've been buying those more expensive, those more, those very expensive
bamboo nature diapers.
But I'm just trying to like, again, cut those out only those at night and nap and potty train.
Um, so anyway, I'm to the point now where it's just like, okay, if I pack a change of clothes
or I pack a diaper, like they kind of take up the same amount of room in my bag, like
that's just kind of where I'm at.
And he's doing okay.
He's honestly, he's doing okay.
Um, he is going really well.
Sometimes he just misses like when we're out somewhere and he has to tell me he
goes, he has to go if it takes longer than it would for him to go to like our
living room to our bathroom.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's a problem because he doesn't realize it.
Like, Hey, we're at target on the other end of the store.
Yeah.
So like, I need a little bit more notice.
Yeah.
You got to tell me next time.
And then, you know, number two is, is a bit, is a bit of a challenge, but I just
think it's because like they know what they're doing and they like hide.
So like, I know when he's going to do it and I just put him on the potty, but
like he has not one time come to me and told me he had to do it.
He'll do that with, with number one, but with number two, he won't tell me that.
And that I have read because I've been looking like, when are they ready?
That I think I read is like a sign that they're not ready.
If they're hiding still.
Oh, see, I don't know and like, you know what, I'm not like knocking like potty
training books or consultants or anything like that.
It's just like, I'm not, I just don't need, I just, I'm not ready for that
right now because again, I'm just, I'm not saying I'm not going to do what it
takes to do that.
I'm saying I'm doing my best.
This is our best right now.
If he's probably not totally ready.
But again, if I can cut out diapers for, I mean, if he's just home with me
and I can cut out diapers for 70% of his day.
And you know, like that's better for his eczema.
So that's kind of what we're at right now.
You're figuring it out.
We're figuring it out.
So anyways, yeah.
Well, that was not one of the updates that I was looking to share, but
I'm happy we shared it nonetheless.
Um, yeah.
I don't know.
Just kind of like, you just like really opened up on what you're going through.
Well, I did it.
And I'm sorry, again, I'm not trying to say like, I'm not, I'm just like,
don't look to me for advice on potty training because George, I didn't
even start till he was three.
Had he did it herself and Fred and not like every, every journey has been
so different, you know?
Yeah, totally.
Um, okay.
Well, let's just segue right into something else.
Um, a very exciting update in our family is our brother.
Oh, my gosh.
That's the update I was, I was trying to lead us into.
It is such an exciting time for our family.
It's another sister.
Another, and a wonderful sister, someone who I've considered a sister
for a while now, but it's, it's nice to make it official.
Totally.
Um, yes.
Our brother's engaged to Charte, Charte fit over on Instagram.
Give her a follow.
She's going to have such good wedding content.
I'm so excited.
Well, what she is, is she's a good content creator.
She's a good content creator.
She's got good taste.
She's got good, um, hacks and she's, um, precious.
And like I love wedding plans.
Like I thought when I planned my wedding, then I really got into it.
I thought that now that I'm past that phase, like I wouldn't care so much.
I love wedding planning.
I love every detail I love hearing about it.
I love talking about it.
So it's just such a fun time in a person's life when they just
have something that exciting going on.
And I'm so excited for all the parties, for the engagement party,
for the bridal shower, the bachelor, I was thinking, I was thinking
we should probably throw her bridal shower.
Totally.
I mean, so that's fun for us.
I like that idea.
Yeah.
We don't know when the wedding is, um, we know no details.
We don't know.
She doesn't know any details.
She texts me.
She's like, what do I need to be doing right now?
Um, but, you know, we're going to figure it out.
So, uh, can we share?
I guess we can kind of share how he proposed.
Or should we just get her on the pod?
Why don't we just plan a pod with Char?
Okay.
But she works now.
Like, when are we going to coordinate a third person into our...
No, it's so true.
We'll have Charlotte and I also want to have Craig come on.
Maybe she can come and like spill some like wedding details.
We'll, we'll go over the proposal really quick.
Sure.
So, um, we all were going out on Sunday night for my mom's
birthday dinner.
So Craig told Charlotte that we had my mom's birthday dinner.
So she would be dressed up cute.
And, um, he said, oh, we're going to have this bus pick us all up to the dinner.
In the bus was hiding flowers, champagne, and Grayson, who was capturing content.
And so he walked out onto their front porch and he goes, we're actually not
going to my mom's birthday dinner.
And she was like, where are we going?
He's like, we're going to our own dinner.
And she was like, why?
And he was like, because I want you to be my wife.
And then he got down on one knee and proposed.
And it's so cute on their front porch.
Um, it's really special because like their ring camera captured the entire thing.
And do you think Craig knew that the ring camera was going to capture that?
He said, he said, he like put, he made sure it was working.
I asked him if he knew it was going to capture it.
But it's funny because like he gets down on one knee and she goes, no way.
And then he's like, will you be my wife?
And then she goes, no.
And he's like, yes.
Is that a, is that a yes?
He said like, is that a yes?
Like three times because she kept saying like, no, not like excited.
No, she cried.
She said, she did say yes.
Um, and yeah, it's just like so special.
So special.
It's been, and then they did get in the bus and they went to dinner
and like met her parents and our parents for drinks beforehand.
Yeah.
So, so special.
So special.
We're so excited.
It feels so good to like have our brother like be with like, just like,
it feels like that box in my life is checked and that feels really good.
Well, because like who your siblings end up with is such a big deal.
These people are going to be in my life for the rest of my life, for a very,
very, very long time.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So you want to like them.
You want to like them and it just feels so good.
Like, I mean, there's five of us.
So there's five opportunities for it to go wrong.
When we're three, we're solid three for three.
Like, everyone goes well together.
And if we can get Sydney and Robert Irwin together, we like, you know,
that would really be cherry on top.
You know, I think he's far too wholesome for Sydney.
And I just think he's too wholesome for her.
Yeah.
But I feel like that's who Sid could end up with.
Like just someone who's like so wholesome.
Yeah.
Opposites attract.
Speaking of like siblings, I tried to watch
the show Love Thy Nader.
Do you know what that show is?
No.
OK, so Brooks Nader was on Dancing with the Stars last season
and she's just like a model and she's got three sisters.
So there's four girls and they like got a new show on Hulu.
And like, I love sisters.
Like, I love seeing sisters interact.
And like, I watched the first two episodes and I'm like, no, not for me.
Really?
It's it's just it's.
Maybe I'm just too old.
Maybe I'm a bit of a prude.
It's just like it's too it's too it's too much.
I'm like, girls, you're putting this on television.
People are watching. Yeah, yeah.
Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
And I guess I just don't find it all that interesting.
I just don't think I find it that interesting.
Yeah, I know it's not to say to them.
I don't think I'm the demographic.
Like Brooks is the oldest and she's 28 or 20.
Yeah, 28, like single, like, you know, and they're all younger than that.
Yes, you just have nothing in common.
And like the parents are like 50 and I'm like relating way more to the parents.
And I'm 32, you know, and that's a weird part in your life
where you like rewatch a show and you're like, oh, turns out I'm on the side of the parents.
No, let me tell you what show I was watching the other day.
And I was like, this is such a crazy thing to say.
This is kind of out of pocket.
But I we've we watched High School Musical.
I turned that on for George and Hattie
because I'm just like really trying to show them like what cinema is.
Like in High School Musical is so good.
And like, I mean, Zac Efron, like my first crush,
like my first celebrity crush, 1000 percent was Zac Efron.
But I'm like, you know, the dad's kind of cute.
Yeah, right? Yeah.
Like what's his name?
Bolton. I think it's Chad, whatever.
Like the dad, I was like, hey, dad. Hey, dad.
What up, Mr. Bolton?
Hey, Mr. Bolton, you're looking good. Oh, my gosh.
Yeah, that's kind of so that's kind of sobering.
So anyway, just speaking of sisters, I just.
It was just, I don't know, I didn't care for the show.
I only watched two episodes, download them on the plane.
I was just like, yeah, I'm good.
I don't really care what happens.
But. But speaking of dancing with the stars.
But that that, thank you.
But speaking of dancing with the stars,
I think we're going to start recapping that.
Yes. So did you watch?
Of course I watched. Of course I watched.
Yeah. So I've been liking to do.
I'm like making the kids watch it.
And they're like, why are you making them watch this?
And I'm like, because it's like it's giving me like 90s
American Idol with my mom.
Yeah. Do you know what I mean?
So I'm like, no, like we're all watching it as a family.
And he's like, well, I think it's time for their bedtime.
I'm like, no, we're watching dancing with the stars, Tyler.
Yeah, then it's Tuesday night.
He's not getting it.
We watched.
Who? How do you want to do this?
I watched last night with Grayson and her and I.
I've never watched the season.
So like her and I don't know how voting works.
We don't know how all eliminations work.
We're trying to figure it out.
And she's like, OK, I'm going to text and vote.
Text and vote. I've never done this before.
So she types the number in her phone and a chat comes up.
And it's the same number you text for American Idol.
And she had texted for American Idol.
So many times her and I were crying,
laughing because she was so embarrassed.
She was like, Grayson, you out.
She texted like 10 times, like every episode 10 times
for American Idol.
Who was she voting for?
She has no idea.
She has, oh my gosh, I don't even remember this.
When was this?
It was 2024.
And I'm like, Grayson.
Oh, that's so funny.
So turns out she votes.
But anyway, we really liked it.
So who did we like?
Who I liked the gymnast, Jordan.
I thought she actually, I think she was kind.
I think she was robbed at the first week.
And I think she did really well.
She did really well this week.
I thought Alex Earl is like surprisingly good.
She was good.
I think Whitney's amazing.
Whitney's fun.
Robert's amazing.
Robert was good.
Robert was like a little bit more boring for me this week.
But like whatever, his PR person is killing it.
He is all over my social media.
Totally.
In a way that no one else is.
He's got a good team.
He's got a good team.
I thought that Jen did really well.
Jen definitely did better this time.
And it is crazy how much their partners play a role in how they do.
Because they not only have to teach them the dance,
but they're also choreographing the dance.
And it is definitely the balance
of highlighting their strengths, hiding their weaknesses.
But not doing any of the steps, but not
doing too many of the steps.
I just think the show itself is,
I think I love the concept.
I think it's such a good show.
America's all into it right now.
I think we all need something like this too.
Something we can all watch together.
But the judges on that show are horrible.
I literally don't ever care what they have to say.
And I've never felt this way about a competition show.
Normally in a competition show, and I actually
like competition shows, like Project Runway, I'm sad.
I care so much what the judges have to say.
I don't care what any single of these judges have to say.
It is the biggest word salad, nothing burger
I've ever heard out of their mouths.
They never say anything.
I wonder if it will get better as the season goes on
and they can give more critises right now.
They're like, it was week two.
It was good.
Their voting is so inconsistent.
Their voting is so out of pocket.
What I also don't like about it is I feel like it,
they're not giving enough credit
for week over week improvement.
I know we're only on week two, but it's like,
at some point, are we really putting this older man
next to this 22-year-old girl?
Or are we going like, who improved the most?
Who did the, I don't know.
So it just feels a little, I just,
I find that their voting is inconsistent.
And I find that their comments are just so boring.
Sometimes their comments don't match
because that guy who's always dressed fans,
he's like, it was amazing.
It was fabulous.
Five.
And I'm like, why'd you give him a five?
What are you doing?
Yeah, and like, Andy-
It's making me so mad.
Andy, the older comedian,
he actually like really tugged on my heartstrings.
Like, I think his little tie in the skybox
to say why he wants to be here kept him on the show.
Totally.
I think people voted for him.
But like, yeah, if he got a five
and Alex got like a seven, like that's not,
in what, on what, like they're not in the same league.
Like if she got a seven and he got a five,
like he should have gotten a three
and she should have gotten a seven.
Like if you're comparing them directly.
So I do think it's like kind of comparing them
to like what their abilities are
and kind of where they're at and everything.
And it's all kind of relative to them.
No, I get what you're saying.
I get what you're saying.
But I don't think like Andy's gonna win,
but it's also...
He's fun to watch.
Well, yeah.
And then I'm also just, yeah, I don't know.
And then I thought it was crazy.
Like why was Hilaria on the bottom three?
I'm sorry, Hilaria is an amazing dancer.
No, I think that that was just,
I don't think it was in any specific order they said.
Okay.
Well, let's do it.
I don't think she was in the bottom three.
I find that so late.
They should have put Andy in the bottom three
and then it would have been like who's gonna win.
Then it would have been suspenseful
because like as soon as it was announced,
it was like, well, we know Hilaria is not going home.
Yeah, loved her too.
Do you like not know the Hilaria Baldwin lore?
No.
Okay, I'm gonna let you look that up on your own.
Why is she there?
Is there controversial?
She's not gonna get the fan vote.
I don't really remember all of it.
Hilaria Baldwin controversy.
It's the third thing that comes up.
It was something like.
She in allegations in December of 2020
that she had misrepresented her Spanish heritage
and faked a Spanish accent for years.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The social media users pointed out that
while sometimes she claimed to be from Spain,
her birth certificate showed she was born
and raised in Boston by American parents.
So there's something there.
I'm just saying there's something there.
I don't know.
She's a great, she was a fun dancer.
She's fun to watch.
She has seven kids.
I mean, she looks great.
Yes, yes to all of that.
Just let me, I don't even know everyone's history.
But yeah, anyway, I'm enjoying the show.
Yeah, me too.
Who do you think is going to win if you had to say?
I actually think Robert's gonna win.
Robert.
Robert, because I think that like Whitney is,
while Whitney might have like more tactical skill
and everything, like Robert's gonna have the votes.
Because who, I mean.
He's not polarizing at all.
I mean, I'm like into Whitney's like her lore,
but like some people can't really,
some people aren't over like how she acted
on the first season of Mormon wise.
Like she was not a nice person.
Like she was the villain.
Yeah.
And like Robert like couldn't have
a controversial bone in his body.
That's what I'm saying.
Robert's gonna, that Australian man's gonna
bring this whole country together.
And there's something to be said about that.
Yeah, he could.
So yeah, obsessed.
I think he'll win.
And I think Whitney will make it really far.
And yeah, I'm excited to see,
I'm excited to see how it all plays out.
Yeah, I'm just loving all things television these days.
Because speaking of which, of course,
the Lions had the most amazing game.
Everyone's talking about it.
Like people were texting me being like, wow, go Lions.
I saw you got merch.
No, I didn't actually.
I'll tell you that story in a second.
So I was in Detroit for the Lions game.
I have to tell you guys about my Detroit trip
because you're gonna die.
It was in a way game.
But like I was at the hotel bar watching Lions
with other Detroitians.
And it was just like so special to me
to be able to do that.
And everyone was like, the Ravens are going to crush them.
Like the Ravens are such a good team.
And I was like, I think they've got it.
Like I was so optimistic.
And of course, like one thing about me
is I'm going to say things
and see if they stick on the wall
and just like see how lucky I can get.
So I was telling the team like who we were with.
I was like, listen, like I'm gonna be your good luck charm.
Like I'm in Detroit and the Lions are gonna win.
I promise you.
I'm just like hoping, you know?
Cause if you don't say stuff like that,
then you never have the opportunity.
You can't take the credit.
Then you can't take the credit.
So I wanted to make sure I could get the credit.
And when they won, they were like,
you might be the good luck charm.
And I'm like, I know.
And I like, there was talks of
if they go to the Super Bowl,
we'll try to get you there.
Oh, you had to.
You had to plant this seed early.
I mean, I was just like having my sight set on that.
So anyway, I need to like get to a game.
I need to get to a Lions game,
but yeah, I love the Detroit Lions.
Like, and I'm telling you now,
I'm like kind of understanding like what they're doing.
And the Ravens were so close to the touchdown line
and like five yards away
and the Lions defense blocked him.
Wow.
Arar.
So anyway, then the next morning
when we were like doing stuff with Ford,
like the Ford,
I guess you could say like my Daniel,
like my contact,
like just like the guy who like sets up a lot of like
the events that I go to with Ford.
He had that Lions jacket on.
And I'm like, can I take it?
Can I just wear that for a picture?
Does he keep a picture?
Oh, thank you.
So anyway, let me tell you about Detroit
because holy freaking moly, you guys.
I haven't even heard about all of it yet.
It was honestly the best,
most emotional charm of my life.
Oh my gosh.
One of them.
So we, I was invited by Ford to do what's called an SMT.
I've talked with this before.
It's called a satellite media tour and I go to a studio
and then they syndicate interviews all across the country.
So I was there to promote child passenger safety week.
I was like something I'm very passionate about
and I was just there to educate.
Like it wasn't, it wasn't like a Ford's the best ever.
It was just like Ford wanted to do good PR
for this special week in our community.
So I had interviews all over the country
and it's very much like, you know,
I have a guy in my ear being like,
okay, we're live in Austin.
Okay, we're live in Oregon.
You're talking.
So it was just like constant interviews,
radio, TV, I love to do those.
I think they're very fun and exhilarating.
And it was fun because I got to do it
like with an expedition with car seats
and I got to show like, you know,
how to install the car seat.
It was all fun.
So I did that, like loved it.
Then I met up with the Ford team
and some other influencers there.
So it was a stacked bench.
It was a bunch of mamas.
That's who it was.
It was me, Sam, safe in the seat.
This girl named Elena called the positive mom on Instagram.
She has an incredible story.
She does TED Talks and you should watch her TED Talk.
It's, I haven't watched it yet,
but she like just told us her story a little bit.
It's inconceivable like what she's gone through.
Like it's really amazing.
And then Dr. Daria, my new BFF.
Dr. Daria on Instagram, she's an ER doctor
and she was so sweet.
So it's just like a group of moms.
Oh yeah, I'm sorry.
Anna, sorry, Anna, from real mom car tours.
So it was just a bunch of moms being moms,
caring about safety, caring about kids.
And then we meet up with everybody
and then Ford takes away our phones.
They put them in these little bags
and they were like, yeah, you can't have your phones anymore.
And I'm not even allowed to tell you where we were
or what we were seeing on the first day,
but it was cool.
It was cool.
We asked hard-hitting questions, of course we did.
And like, you know, one thing on me
is like I'm not scared to ask the hard-hitting question.
And then we went to a track
to do like some other fun driving and testing.
I learned how to drive a stick shift.
That's huge.
Which is unfortunate because that was like the thing
I would say for two truths and a lie,
that I didn't know how to drive a stick shift.
Like that was the truth that everyone thought was a lie
because like, why wouldn't the car mom
know how to drive a stick shift?
So I did learn, I did learn by the head engineer
for the Ford Mustang line.
Yeah, that feels pretty cool.
Lori, so that was exciting.
I was like, you have nothing better to do,
but teach me how to get to third gear.
But it was very exciting.
And so then that was the first day
we just like did some driving.
We got to go to this, again, this place
that I can't tell you where we went.
And then the next day, we got to go
to the new Ford headquarters.
So Ford's recently read on their headquarters
and we were the first group
who doesn't work for Ford to see it.
Oh, that's cool.
Was it amazing?
Yeah, it was amazing.
Like it was just a beautiful building.
Beautiful building.
And then we got to go to the design,
meet with the design team.
And again, they took our phones
and I had to sign basically my life away.
I signed a ton of NDA.
So like I can't really share anything,
but it was like one of the most,
like I walked into this room of people
and I started crying.
And I cried because it would just felt like
everything that I've ever worked towards
was all coming true.
Like I've always said,
like I wanted to quote unquote consult
with a manufacturer to like help them
and share our shared opinion.
And that's basically what I got to do.
I got to see some future things.
And like, I can't, like when it comes out,
like I can't wait to be like I told you so.
Cause like it was, what I saw was absolutely unbelievable.
And you know, I feel like a trope on the internet
or like a message I get all the time is like,
we need moms to be designing cars.
We need women to be designing cars.
We need parents to be designing cars.
Let me just assure you they are.
So like, I think that trope kind of needs to die
because like I have, and this is with,
I haven't worked with a ton of manufacturers
in this like consulting Esquie.
And I also want to be clear like,
this is not like a paid thing.
Like I'm not, like I don't work with manufacturers
in that way.
But I've been so impressed with the teams at Ford and GM
for the diversity on their teams.
Like when I say like there is just many women
as there is men in the room and everyone's,
not everyone, but most people are a parent.
Like they are the ones designing the car.
So like if things feel different
or things feel like we wouldn't have chosen that way,
rest assured like there is a reason,
but like the amount of care that I felt
like these people had for our families,
like you can't fabricate it and you can't fake it.
Like they were genuinely so interested to hear
like how we can make the rides safer
and more comfortable and more convenient
for us as parents.
And it was just like it was a top,
like it was a top 10 moment in my life.
Like I'm not being dramatic.
Like I'm at the Ford headquarters.
I finally feel like I have a seat at the table.
It's this diverse group of people
and like they want to know what
the car audience has to say.
And I represented us the best way I possibly could.
I advocated for us where it needs to be advocated for.
And I didn't hold back because it's like,
you know, I don't know if I'm gonna get invited back.
So I didn't hold back and just like really,
I'm really, really excited about what they're doing.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Well, that's further goes to prove that it was a good thing.
You slid that Detroit good luck charm in
because now they have to invite you back.
Totally or not.
So if you burned a bridge there,
you built a bridge on the lion train.
I know they were always like,
so are you a lions fan?
And I'm like, well, I just woke up one day
and was like, what have I become a lions fan?
Yeah.
And they're like, really?
I'm like, yeah.
And that's all it takes.
Love them.
Sounds so exciting.
Wish I could have gone, but happy I didn't go.
Yeah, Sam was a better person to bring than Elizabeth.
You know, Sam used buzzwords like,
what did I tell you?
Mitigation.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
Federal regulation.
She was citing federal regulation and asking like,
I mean, it was just Sam is, she's like,
she's just-
Sam's a car, Sam is,
if you don't know who we're talking about,
she's from mama knows car seats.
She like does a lot with the car mom team.
She's like our go-to CPST.
She's like our head contributor.
And she is not only incredibly knowledgeable on car seats,
but she's incredibly knowledgeable on cars as well,
which is sometimes a hard thing to marry.
It's a, no, it's a very hard thing to marry.
It's like a lot of people can be CPSTs
and know a lot about car seats,
but then not always know how that interacts with the car.
And Sam is just amazing.
So definitely give her a follow if you
are looking for a car seat.
Yeah.
Like Sam just so feels like an extension of my brain
because it is so hard.
I mean, I can't possibly,
like the reason I feel like I need Sam so much
is because I could not possibly keep all the car seat knowledge
and all the car knowledge in my head at the same time.
Like we both have a lot,
but I obviously have more of the car knowledge.
She has more of the car seat knowledge,
but I'm telling you like when we're together,
we are synced.
Like our brains are synced.
She was amazing.
Yeah, she's amazing.
Lover.
Okay, but this was a crazy thing that happened to me.
I don't even know if I told you this.
I guess I did text you this.
So I'm at dinner and I order a kale Caesar salad.
I love a kale Caesar.
Like I just think it's fun,
especially at a restaurant that's done up right.
I also ordered the meatloaf because let me tell you something.
If you're at a fancy restaurant
and meatloaf's on the menu,
there's a reason and you should get it.
It was the best free meatloaf I've ever had in my life.
Everyone was kind of making fun of me
because everyone else was getting like the filet,
the salmon and I'm like, I'll take the meatloaf.
Yeah.
And it, I'm telling you,
always order meatloaf at a fancy restaurant
because if it's on the menu it's for a reason.
It's a tangible takeaway.
It was so good.
Anyway, I ordered the kale Caesar and it comes out
and there's anchovies on it, like full anchovies.
They were like beheaded though.
So it was just like a filet of an anchovy.
And I was telling Dr. Daria, the ER doctor,
I was like, oh, I've never really like had a full anchovy.
And she's like, oh, they're good.
Just like take a little bite of the anchovy
and eat it with your Caesar salad.
I was like, okay.
So I started taking a couple of bites.
All of a sudden I can feel my tongue
and I can feel my lips.
And I am like, looking at my lips being like,
I'm having an allergic reaction right now.
Like never in my life have I been allergic to anything.
Anything.
And I'm like,
I'm like, oh my gosh.
I start freaking out
because this has never happened to me.
And I've also, I've had Caesar salad
so many times in my life.
Yeah.
So I kind of forgot that there was an ER doctor
right next to me and I grabbed Sam
and I say, Sam, come to the bathroom with me.
Now, Sam also like drove an ambulance
for 12 years, worked as a paramedic.
So she's also capable.
Again, she was the perfect person to bring on this trip.
For so many reasons.
We get to the bathroom and she's like,
oh, your lips are huge.
And I'm like, what is happening to me right now?
I, and one thing about me, like you,
like when it comes to like flight or fight,
like I'm a flight.
Like I'm not like,
I start in no exaggeration, semi-panicking.
And Sam's like, I know what to do.
She gives me a drink of water.
She runs to the front desk.
She gets me a Benadryl.
She's like talking me off a ledge.
She's like, you're fine.
This Benadryl is going to work really quick.
We take the Benadryl, like my lips,
like we like excuse her for like 15 minutes.
Like I can feel after I stopped eating it too,
I could feel like my lips starting to calm down.
And anyway, then I went back to the table
and doctor was like, are you okay?
And I'm like,
I think I just hadn't learned your reaction.
She's like, well, why didn't you come get me?
I'm like, I forgot.
I was getting a little stressed out.
So then docs was like,
doctor was like, well, let me monitor you.
So she monitored me.
She was giving me a little gland feel.
So I had a once over by Dr. Daria.
But then I was nervous
and I made something sandwiched from that night.
I made Sam monitor me overnight.
For all the reasons, thankfully.
Well, and then I was like itchy,
like my neck was itchy still.
Because I've had a friend who had allergic reaction
and like her lips blew up, but then her eyes blew up.
And then we called the ambulance
and like she had to go to the hospital.
So like you just never know how serious
an allergic reaction can be.
Well, and that's what I'm saying.
I'm like, I'm gonna go into anaphylactic shock.
Like I'm freaking out.
So now I'm, I don't know where I go from here.
Dr. Daria told me not to eat Caesar salad again
or kale until I go get tested.
It had to be the anchovies though.
You've never had an anchovy.
I know, but I've had Caesar salad
like so many times in my life.
I know, but like you've ate an anchovy.
You've never had an anchovy before.
I know, but anchovy dressing is in Caesar salad.
Like they make Caesar,
I make homemade Caesar all the time.
And Dr. Daria was like, you know,
15% of people develop allergies in their 30s
and seafood's a very common one.
I'm like, are you trying to tell me that?
Like I'm allergic to seafood now.
Like this is not gonna-
That would be so depressing.
So I don't know where I go from here.
Okay, but what do you think?
Develop a seafood allergy in your 30s
or get bit by a tick and can't have red meat?
Seafood allergy for sure.
Yeah, agreed.
Seafood allergy for sure.
So anyway, I guess I need to get into an allergist now.
Woof.
Yeah.
Woof, well, good thing that happened
around all the capable people
because if you would have been around like literally
anyone in your everyday life,
no one would have handled it that well.
I mean, I was about to call 911.
I'm like, I mean-
I know, that's what it does.
No, because it's just like, that just scares me.
Yeah.
That scares me.
So anyway, now, and then the doctor also told me
to start carrying bed and drill.
So it's just like, now I'm that girl, you know?
Now you're that girl.
So anyway.
Okay, Liz, are you ready for industry news
where I spill the hot tea going on in the auto industry?
I sure am.
Okay, this is my favorite story I've maybe read ever.
This is from Car and Driver.
It says, Infiniti's new robot
is a comical solution to blue jean stains.
Infiniti has a new robot designed to develop leather seats
capable of avoiding stains left by blue jeans.
The new robot replicates a passenger
getting in and out of the seat more than 10,000 times
in order to test the lifetime durability.
You have to look up this video.
They plop this like giant butt on this white seat
and they take the jeans and they go whoop, whoop
and they slide it off 10,000 times.
Okay, wait, what is the brand that's doing it?
Oh, Car and Driver.
Here, I'll text it to you really fast.
It's hysterical.
And that's what I'm saying.
Like, they are doing a good job sometimes.
Sometimes they're not, but sometimes they are.
Oh my gosh.
What?
It's not funny.
It's like, who thinks of this?
Well, people who have blue jeans.
It kind of has a dump truck.
Okay, so that's like someone's job and that's crazy.
That's someone's job.
Someone is there.
Someone went to engineering school
and was like, I've got to figure out
how to build a robot to test a butt on,
you know, jeans on a car.
That's hilarious.
Okay, do you have any other issues?
So good to know they're doing it.
Good to know they're doing it.
You know, if we can put on a man on the moon,
we should be able to figure out how to make a leather
that doesn't transfer to blue jeans.
Okay, our next story is by Cartilership Guy
and it's Infinity adjacent.
Because it says Nissan unveils
latest self-driving tech powered by AI.
Nissan is looking to carve out a place
in the growing autonomous vehicle market
as part of its broader comeback strategy.
The Japanese automaker is partnering
with a British startup to develop its self-driving tech.
Nissan expects to launch the autonomous systems in 2027
but has not disclosed which models
will debut the new technology.
And so it says Nissan is betting on self-driving technology
to help revive its brand,
lift margins and re-establish its role as an innovator.
Because Nissan's tackling is one of my favorites
is innovation that excites.
It's a great one.
It's a great tagline.
Now I would say the blue jean thing
is innovation that excites.
Self-driving AI, it's doing less for me.
Nissan has so much to work on that like,
they can't even touch,
they're not even worried about blue jean stains.
Well, Nissan and Infinity are the same company.
So they obviously are.
Oh, they are?
You knew that.
No, I knew that, but I thought that it was,
oh yeah, I thought it was Lexus and that,
or I thought Infinity and Toyota were,
but it's Lexus and Toyota.
Yep.
But anyway, it just feels like,
I mean, it's like, it's hard
because you have to do it in a way.
Like you have to be trying
because you don't want to get so left behind,
but you also kind of have to refine what you have.
And my problem with Nissan right now
is I just don't think they have a really clear,
I would not describe them as innovation that excites.
I think it's the problem.
Yeah.
Who do you think out of all the automakers
is innovation that excites?
You know, like someone who when I see their cars,
I'm like, dang, that's cool as Buick.
Totally.
That's like kind of a sleeper one,
but I would agree with you.
Yeah.
And then, you know, I think that like Ford and GM
are doing really good with their like autonomous driving.
Yeah, Ford and GM are doing really,
I mean, I'm telling you, I'm very impressed.
I'm a little, and it's interesting to see that we haven't had.
I feel like now they're just like, we have all like these buckets.
Like Ford and GM are kind of doing the same thing.
Toyota and Honda are kind of doing the same thing.
Obviously Kia and Hyundai are doing the same thing.
And it's like Nissan needs to like pick
who they want to like kind of be hanging out with.
Yeah. Like who are you going to be?
What what lunch table are you sitting at?
Which lunch table are they sitting at?
Yeah.
I think they need to double down.
I think they need to continue.
They need to market the Pathfinder better.
I feel like that's kind of just where the people don't even think of the Pathfinder.
And that I feel like is their problem.
People should be thinking of the Pathfinder.
I know your armada is trash, but honestly, hang up the hat.
Like stop producing it.
The armada is like, I shouldn't say it's trash,
but like just compared to the other full size SUVs for what you're paying for.
You're not it's just it's not it's borderline uncompetitive.
I'm sorry, it is. It's uncompetitive.
Not saying it's a bad car.
I'm saying it's uncompetitive.
It's just crazy how like so much is going.
Everything is going right in the Pathfinder
and then everything's going wrong in the armada.
That's just so perplexing to me.
It's like just make a bigger Pathfinder.
I know they start just like it's free idea.
Free idea. It's insane.
Make a bigger path.
And then I think the Rogue is a hero card.
Like the like Rogue should be
and everyone should be considering the Rogue
when they're considering the RAV4 and the CRB.
And I think I think the Rogue is actually a really good selling model for them.
They're one of the only manufacturers who still do incidents.
It's like people we need to dance and they have good to dance.
The Ultima is a great car.
Mm hmm. Yeah.
Get out of the they got out of the truck market.
That was a good idea.
That sounds like they're out of the EV market.
Well, they're probably down on the leaf.
I agree. Focus on the leaf and give us the XTERRA back.
Yeah. That's the best thing that they can do.
Yeah, I agree. That'll be huge.
That'll be huge.
Hopefully they'll bring me in for consultant.
Can I like say I'm a consultant now?
If anyone should be brought in for consulting on any some product,
I do think it should be me the way that I have just been a champion
for that brand for years.
No, Elizabeth, I'm not going to take you.
I'm not going to take a seat away from you at the table.
You're absolutely right.
But I'm just asking, like, can I now tell people I'm a consultant?
Yeah, I think it's such a buzzword.
You know what I mean? No, I think you can.
I mean, you also consult people on their car purchases.
Yeah, OK. So that's like I would just like love
if like I like met someone like, you know, in the elevator and like,
Oh, what do you do?
I'd love to speak. Oh, I mean, I'm in consulting.
Yeah, it's easy because then it's like, it's it's mysterious that I'm like,
you have Instagram. Yeah.
And it's like it's it's like when you say you're going to count
and like they don't really I don't think people will ask a lot of follow up
questions if you're like, oh, I'm in the consulting field.
Like, you know, I might try that.
I might just I'm going to try it on for size.
Yeah, let's let us know.
OK, are you ready for sorry, I have one more story.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This is from CBS News.
Car buyers rushed to capitalize on federal EV tax credit
ahead of expiration next week.
So we've been talking about this, but I just want to bring it to everyone's
attention that the EV tax credit, so the 7500 tax credit that you get
for purchasing an EV goes away on September 30th.
So make haste.
If you were looking to buy an EV, it is the time is now.
The time is now.
The time is now.
OK, well, Cal, are you ready for ditch the drive through
where we give you an easy dinner recipe to mix it up to get you out
of your dinner at? Yep, yep, yep.
OK, this is going to be a one pan because we love a one pan.
A one pan.
And the theme is garlic, butter chicken and veggies.
So I kind of love a love a butter chicken.
OK, here's what you chicken.
You need a chicken breast cut into bite size pieces.
Baby potatoes, halved broccoli, butter, garlic, paprika, Italian
seasonings, salt and pepper, squeeze of lemon juice is optional.
Preheat oven to 400.
And then on the sheet pan, you're going to put the potatoes,
the garlic, the salt, the pepper, the seasonings and roast those
and olive oil and roast those for 15 minutes.
And then you're going to push the potatoes to one side
because potatoes need a long time to cook.
And you're going to put the chicken and the broccoli on the pan
on the other side, toss with the remaining butter, garlic and seasonings
and roast for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through
and the potatoes are golden and finished with a squeeze of lemon.
Wait, oh, so you're OK, I'm sorry.
So you put the potatoes in the oven for an extra 15 minutes
because they take longer because they take longer.
Oh, I thought you meant like take them out of the oven.
I don't push them to one side of the pan
and then put the other stuff there.
Yum, that sounds really good.
And you just like recreate that with whatever seasonings you want.
Yeah, I need an easy dinner recipe like that tonight.
I am I'm a bit in my dinner rut.
Well, that's like a good
it's super easy. It's a healthy.
It's a reset.
It's not you don't have a lot of flavors going on.
Like sometimes you just need something super, super simple.
We got a couple of people saying, recommending.
Beef ember.
Beef ember. Oh, beef ember.
No, no, beef.
Mer, no, I don't remember for no, I saw that one
and it looks OK written out.
I cannot pronounce it.
If ember, beef ember.
There's not an obvious one.
But if you don't know what we're talking about,
we're talking about doing ground beef recipes,
kind of like we do.
October, one hand.
I do like the idea of doing it in.
November, the holiday season,
like, is there something with the holidays, too?
Because that's like, we don't have to do just like a month,
you know, like we could do like Thanksgiving up to Christmas.
Like, is there a holiday take on it?
I think you I think we're close.
Uh huh.
I think we need to just go back.
It's not innovation yet, though.
Happy beefy days.
Beefy days, a happy holiday holiday.
That's such a like,
did you just hurt your back with that stretch?
OK, let's keep thinking.
And if we can't think of something,
maybe it'll just be like an internal thing we do, you know?
Yeah, I need everything has to be a pun.
Not. Well,
it does feel like everything should be a pun.
OK, other huge news before I let you go,
like I just have to tell you this,
my birthday banner finally came in.
Oh, just in time for our Sloan's birthday party.
Just in time for Sloan's birthday party.
I'm just going to go get it really fast
because I need you to see it.
OK, it's better to live up to the hype.
You know, it will like little back story.
I'm in my banner era.
I'm trying to just make things special.
And I think an easy way to do that is to get banners.
I went on.
I wanted a happy birthday banner
that I can hang up for all my kids.
And you know me,
I'm all about like making things sentimental,
making things special.
And like, I want this to be the banner
that my kids fight over one day.
And it's like, who gets mom's birthday banner?
I went on Etsy and I like I'm going to
I'll I'll let you guys know who this person is.
I'll post it in the carpool or something
because like, but I don't want to blow her up too bad
because she's hand making these.
And I think I paid $70,
but I'm telling you it's heirloom quality.
It is such good quality.
She sent me the fabrics that she was doing.
And then I was like, hey,
that's reading like a little girly
and I have two boys, two girls.
Could we like take out some of the pinks
and add maybe with some more greens and blues.
She's like, for sure.
And here it is.
It's like it is.
Oh, you're going to die to me.
Oh, it's so cute.
Wow. Wow.
Excellent quality.
Oh, it's so cute.
And like, I know it's like
got this beautiful ribbon.
Look at the back.
Oh, my gosh.
It's just bright.
It's a rainbow.
Isn't it?
I love it.
It's precious.
Isn't like the most riveting podcast content.
I mean, maybe I'll post it on Instagram.
It is, I think you have to now.
It is so, so sweet and special.
Like I'm so excited.
Of course, I'm excited to hang out for Sloan's birthday,
but then Heidi's birthday is coming up too.
Yeah, I can't wait to debut it.
Yeah.
Cannot wait.
You don't have to do it at Sloan's birthday.
No, I'm fine to do it at Sloan's birthday.
But I mean, that's what it's for.
That's what it's for.
OK, OK, well, before we go, quick announcement.
October is right around the corner.
And October means it's time for Blake's besties.
October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month.
So every October, we ask listeners
to submit their stories of their kids
that they have lost, whether it's
their miscarriage or just lost in infancy.
And tell us about their babies.
Tell us what their name was.
Tell us what you were creating.
Tell us what concerts you took them to while they were
in your womb.
Just like we're here to focus on the positives
and like not act like your child and your pregnancy
never existed.
We're here to speak their life into existence.
And so that's what Blake's besties is for.
So you can write into hello at thekarmamofficial.com,
make the subject line something along lines of Blake's besties
so we know.
And at the end of every episode in October,
we will read two or three stories.
So also, if you don't want to hear those stories,
just sign off a little bit early.
But I think it's our third year doing it.
It's our third year doing it.
And Blake's besties comes from the name of Blake,
who's Blake's mom, Rachel wrote into us a couple of years
ago, letting us know that October was this week.
And if we would be willing to just bring
awareness to this week, and we said this month,
we both just felt sorry, this month,
and we both just felt very called to, I guess,
like even go a step further and just really honor
and remember all of these babies.
And to Elizabeth's point, we just feel like,
and although Elizabeth and I haven't experienced it
for ourselves, it just feels like sometimes these babies,
people are, they feel like maybe not the parents
necessarily, but other people don't want to say the name
or they feel awkward or they don't want to bring it up.
And we feel like we want it to be the opposite.
We want it to be a time where we remember,
we say their name, if you didn't name them, that's okay too,
but we say their name, we say their story,
and however long-
We acknowledge the pregnancy.
However long they were with you,
I mean, they were your child, you were their mother,
and we don't want that to be forgotten.
So the other thing we do ask those, if you do write in,
just keep the story, I mean, you can write more,
but also just know for podcast sake,
we might have to keep it a little bit more brief,
but know that me, Liz, or Matty on our team,
we read and respond to every single one of them.
And if you don't want to be brought out out loud,
you can also just say that,
and if you just want to share the story with us,
we would love to hear that.
In the past, some people have said like,
here's the whole story, but like this is the blurb
that you can read on the podcast
just because they want to give context
or it's like just want to send an email
and have someone read it.
So Blake's Besties, starting in October,
starting next week, excited for it.
Sorry to read the stories.
It's always, it is,
it's one of my favorite segments that we do.
Me too.
And with that, that's going to be our episode.
So thanks for just like listening to all the updates.
There was just kind of like a lot to cover.
Yeah, no, I mean, like I feel like my kids
were honestly shockingly really good for this.
Like Libby did fall asleep, Fred only spilled
half my coffee on the ground
and hasn't asked him to go to the bathroom since, so.
Great, well, you might want to check on that
because I feel as though
he should have gone to the bathroom by now.
So thank you so much for listening to the Corporal Podcast
and we'll talk to you next time.
See ya.
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.
About this episode
Kelly and Liz dive into a whirlwind of personal updates, from Kelly's challenging potty training journey with her son Fred to exciting family news about a wedding engagement. They share their experiences at a recent Ford event in Detroit, discussing everything from car seat safety to the emotional impact of being involved in automotive design. The episode also features a lively recap of 'Dancing with the Stars,' highlighting contestants and judges, and wraps up with a delicious one-pan garlic butter chicken recipe. Tune in for a mix of heartfelt stories and automotive insights!
So much has happened since the last episode, Kelly went to Detroit, their brother got engaged and the entire family is watching Dancing with the Stars!
Kelly's trip to Detroit was one of the top moments of her life. She'll recap it all including doing satellite interview tours, touring the new Ford headquarters and talking to designers about keeping your family safe in their new designs. Even discovering a food allergy while at dinner couldn't damper the vibe of this trip.
In Industry News, Infinity is solving a problem in the coolest way possible. They have robots replicating blue jean stains on car interiors to try and figure out a solution. It sounds weird, but the video is kind of awesome! Plus, Nissan is working on their self-driving model and a reminder that the EV tax credit ends soon.
Finally in Ditch the Drive-Thru, Lizz has a one pan meal that is definitely going to get you out of your dinner rut!