YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN JEANS

Welcome to the Carpool podcast with Kelly.

I know I'm, I think the first step is in it. I know I'm addicted to my phone.

Like, sorry, I am. Okay, I'm woman enough to say it.

I'm definitely addicted to my phone in some capacity.

And Liz.

You know, versus before my hair was just kind of like existing on top of my head.

And now it's like, oh, that girl like goes and gets her hair cut on a regular basis.

She like takes care of herself.

Your mom time off starts now.

Welcome back to the Carpool podcast with Kelly and Liz.

Happy Friday. Are you guys so happy we're here with you on a Friday?

Um, this is so weird.

So weird. But I think it'll be, I think it'll be a new normal for us.

Yeah.

I think that we're always looking for something stimulating on a Friday.

I know I am.

Totally. Me too.

You know, Thursdays I'm, Thursdays I have a lot of hustle and busts Fridays.

And then like, if you can't listen to it Friday, you can listen to it over the weekend.

Like it's also giving you more time to do something like that.

We're just Friday podcasters now.

I know the only super bummer is like the way that our recording schedule works.

I think we'll have to stop our dancing with the star recaps.

I think that some people will really welcome that because like the Facebook group is like

stop dancing with the stars recaps.

Okay. Well, first of all, that's rude because also like, if you like me and you talk to me,

like if you were to see me in person and ask me, I would talk to you about dancing with the stars recaps.

Cause that's what I'm thinking about.

So like at my core, that's who I am.

Yeah.

I also want to do it just to spite the people, to be honest with you.

No, no, I get it. If you don't watch it and it is a long segment.

I mean, we talk about it for like 20 minutes. So we go through everyone.

I know because we can't help ourselves, but let's be clear.

Every week someone goes home.

So it will get shorter.

You've, you've survived the worst of it.

It will get shorter and shorter.

Maybe if, if the recording schedule allows, maybe we'll do one like at the end.

So if people who want, who like are interested in our uneducated take on dancing with the stars wants to listen to it,

then they can, but I would say some people will be very happy to hear that we're not dead this week.

I was just, I was just having a lot of fun being a part of something.

Yeah. No, me too. Me too.

Yeah. And it was nice to just like have somebody to talk about like something new that I thought that we were all involved in.

Yeah. Like sometimes it's just like, sometimes we get on this mic and it's like, no, I'm the most uninteresting, boring person in the world.

I can't believe I have to deliver a 40 minute episode.

Uh huh.

And that's hard. And luckily like we have our segments like help get us through, but you guys have to remember this is not, we're not just,

we're not just throwing guests at the wall.

Like we're really trying to bring you like a really leisurely listen to podcasts and that means talking about our lives a lot.

And unfortunately sometimes we just don't have a lot going on.

Majority.

But that's not, but that's not today because we have a ton going on today.

Yeah, we do.

Starting with the fact that can you see my sweater?

I just, I should look at my, I should look at my, that's a good fashion hack.

If you like have like your just basic crew next sweater, you know, like first of all, and if you're looking for one,

like go buy the Quinn's cashmere one. It's 50 bucks.

It'll be like the best $50 you spend for yourself.

I might stand. Do you have a Quinn's cashmere?

$50 for cashmere. It's so good.

I have a short, I have short, I have two short slave Quinn's cashmere.

I've just got a classic Navy Quinn's cashmere sweater.

Obsessed with it. I wear it all the time.

You can do a Navy on Navy look. You can do it with like light wash jeans.

You can do it over a skirt like so cute.

And if you add like white t-shirt under it, I'm telling you, first of all,

you get another point on the Merrick styling number score for seven because the perfect outfit had seven points.

It keeps you a little warmer. It's also like you're hot. You're cold.

You're taking it off. You're dripping it around your shoulders.

And it just like breaks it up. It looks.

If you've never layered a white sweater underneath your crew next sweater.

No, sorry, a white t-shirt underneath your crew next sweater.

I highly say that.

He's like giving it a go.

And someone was like, oh, if you need to stick out more, wear it backwards.

And I'm like genius.

Wow.

Wow. Yeah.

And it also is nice for these fall days that start off chilly and get hot because then like,

if you get high, you can just take the sweater off.

Yeah.

And then you put it around your shoulders and you don't break your seven points.

And you don't break your seven points.

Totally.

I'm really trying to wear clothes more.

Yeah.

You know.

Yeah.

Really.

I mean, when I just think I have clothes, I should wear them.

I think that I make better decisions in jeans at the end of the day.

Wow.

That's profound.

Yeah.

If you have to make a big decision, like it's worth your time to like put on a pair of jeans.

I think it is.

I think you just, it's, it's the reminder that you got dressed and you take yourself seriously.

Certainly make better food decisions in jeans.

You're just hyper aware of everything because you're not quite as comfy.

And so then when you're hyper aware of your surroundings, you're hyper aware of all the

possible outcomes of this decision that you're allowed to make.

You're alert.

You're more alert in jeans.

You're alert.

You're maybe in a little bit of a flyer fight syndrome in jeans.

No, but really, I'm just trying to wear more clothes.

And I think like, I'm really like trying to like study like why, like a Instagram world

wears things and why I wear things and like how we have such a disconnect.

Like it's a huge disconnect between like what the bloggers doing versus what I'm doing.

So I'm really trying to study it.

And I'm telling you, it's these little things like adding a white shirt under your sweater.

Yeah.

All of a sudden your girl that gets it.

Yeah.

It's, it's the little things like that because every blogger is like, well, you just need

like a white button up and like I get like a button up and it's like a box on me.

And I'm like, I don't prescribe to button downs as outfits.

I think that's great that they piss me off when they like put on a button down.

I'm not doing that.

Yeah.

A button down is so uncomfortable.

Everyone needs a oversized button down and you can just get, you can just thrift it from

anywhere.

And it's like, looks so cute on them.

And I'm like, didn't, I did it.

It's working.

No, it's not working.

But I will say like, we touched on it earlier, but to just like double down on it, the seven

point outfit rule really has been super fun.

And if you don't know how it works, this is something that Merrick art was posting about

and she says that the perfect outfit should have seven points.

So like pieces are worth one unless it's like a really bold thing, then it would be worth

two points.

So like in my outfit today, I've got these cute earrings.

One, my white t-shirt, two, my brown sweater, three, my jeans, four, my shoes.

Five, six.

Two to some of them come in a six.

And then if I had a bag for my epi pens, I'd be at seven.

So the epi pens eight, nine.

You're at a nine point.

I'll take the earrings off then.

So, but it's been fun because well, or I could like add a bracelet because sometimes I don't

always like to count my bag as a part because I don't know.

It's just like, what if they don't see me with my bag and then like I'm walking around like

a six, like that's crazy.

Or a scarf.

I could add a necklace that I have a lot.

I could throw a ball cap on.

I have possibilities.

But it's been fun because I've been doing it now for a couple of weeks since I've heard

about it.

And the biggest thing is it's made me wear my jewelry more.

You know what I mean?

It's like, you know what?

Give me the dang bracelet.

Sure.

Yeah.

I'll add it on.

Yeah.

Sure.

I'll wear a little bit bigger of an earring.

Cause I wouldn't count.

I don't know.

No, it's such a good.

That's what I need.

Like I can't pull up an Instagram reel to like remember what the fashion, the exact fashion

girlie said every time I need quick little things like that that I remember seven points

to an outfit.

Okay.

Let me try and let me try and figure it out on my own before I like run back to like my

saved Instagram.

Sometimes I can do it.

Another girl I can't.

I need to find her Instagram.

Another girl who I like to follow.

She does like, I think I've talked about her before, but she'll say here is an outfit

recipe, boots, small, small bottoms, big top.

So you do an oversized top, maybe you do a mini skirt and you do boots and she says

any combination of that sweater button up, she's a button up kind of girl, skirt, shorts,

squirt, cowboy boots, riding boots, like what any boots and she shows multiple examples

and they all work.

And so sometimes I'll do that too.

I'm like, I need a recipe and then I just fill in the pieces that I appreciate that

type of content.

Well, I like when fashion bloggers aren't always trying to get me to buy something

now.

Like, I don't like like new arrivals.

It's like, well, what does a new arrival do for me if I still look like a frump?

Here's another really good creator being Julia underscore, I'm obsessed with her.

She's a teacher.

So one thing about her, she's actually getting dressed for practical things and she does

the same thing.

She goes, here's a simple fall outfit formula and she goes, it's a black top, jeans, black

shoes and a jacket.

And then she tells you like all the different ways to do said recipe.

Oh, I see.

They're all different, but they're all working being Julia.

She's a highly recommend you follow her.

I like it when they show me multiple examples of the thing.

Totally.

And like, it's just so like regular, not like regular and you are following her.

Yeah.

Love.

Yeah.

Love.

Okay.

So anyway, let's, this is a good segue to our first segment of the pot today.

And that is detail shop where we share a recent beauty swap.

Okay.

Here is a trot, eyed and true.

And this is what every girl needs in her purse this fall.

Everyone needs this.

Okay.

Adding to cart.

Do I have it?

Nope.

You need something called Cordy Balm.

Do you know what that is?

No.

I've never heard of this.

Okay.

So I get about four to five times a year for whatever reason.

I get insanely dry lips, like so dry.

And I think it's because like I start like having the heat on in my car or like whatever

the cases are like, I'm like licking my lips too much.

They dry out.

And then it's like, I can't even put like lipstick on.

And don't be wrong.

Like I love a lineage a summer Friday as much as the next girl, but at the end of the day,

they're not going to take me.

They're, they're not going, I get to a point of no return with my lips.

And this thing called Cordy Balm is chapstick with hydrocortisone cream in it.

And it will fix your chapped lips and overnight, if not less.

How do you spell it?

C-O-R-T-I Balm.

Comes in a pack of two on Amazon.

I think Sharte fit me to get it.

Oh, it is so not aesthetically pleasing.

No, no, no, no, no, no, it is not a cute product.

No, no, no, no, no, no, it's not a cute product.

It doesn't smell good.

It's, it's the opposite of what the lineage lip mask is.

But I'm telling you, if you like, if you actually have

chapped lips or like George, is he has really chapped lips right now?

He's been putting this on too.

OK, Cordy Balm, Cordy Balm, trust, trust, trust, trust your girl.

Now treatment for severe chapped lips.

That's a good one for the winter season.

It's just good to keep in your arsenal.

Now, yeah, I would now some days.

Now, I don't have to use it all the time and like, don't be wrong.

Then I will bring out like my Nate Tram lip balm and like,

I'm just like a cute girl with an aesthetic lip balm, you know, with my coffee.

Like some days I am that girl.

Some days I need Cordy.

OK, keep Cordy in your back pocket.

Now, if you have good lips now, but so that's part one of my detail shop.

Part two is I feel like an easy way to just like.

I think like one of the biggest blessings about fall is like a fall lip

can really elevate your look in like any way you want it to do.

You just can't always be doing like a dark mauve in July.

Like that would be crazy.

No, for sure.

Like it's such a fall winter thing.

And I think that's a blessing for us.

So what like a fall lip that I've been loving.

I don't even doesn't matter what color I have because they're all I think

I'm sure they're all good, but Maybelline Superstave Vinyl.

Ashley told me to get this.

My friend Ashley is a makeup artist, so she knows what she's talking about.

Drugstore, nine dollars, so, so good.

OK, see, like I look at this

and I think I know exactly how it's going to feel on my lips.

And I like, is it?

No, it's not that drying.

It's definitely a stay, but it's not.

It's not drying.

You see, like it looks like it.

I've tried a product.

I maybe I just like had a product that looked just like this.

I remember being like so crusty and drying, but it's not that.

It's not that rest easy.

OK, rest easy.

It's so good.

OK, I think I use the color cheeky.

OK.

No, I use punchy.

The medium Teddy Brown.

They're really, really good.

And what I like about them is they like they definitely dry down,

but then it's so easy.

Then you just add a little lineage lip over it

if you want to like get a little glossy gloss.

Yeah, a little gloss will not like dry you out in a disgusting way.

OK, OK, well, maybe I should pick it up

because I see it at the store all the time.

No, I think you should pick it up and like it's such it's it's low risk.

It's low risk.

I'm telling you, it'll pack a big punch

because then like I almost want to count it as a point on my outfit thing

because I've got a bold lip on today.

Well, that's a good question for Merrick.

That's a really good question for Merrick.

Well, Merrick said she would come on the podcast.

Yeah, we just need to stay on her, though, before she forgets.

She said that.

Yeah, for sure, for sure.

OK, something that.

Do you have a detail shop?

I do have a detail shop.

Is it a lot?

No, but a lot.

But like honestly, maybe just go do it.

I do think that my lab should count as a point on my outfit

because it looks intentional.

You know, versus before my hair was just kind of like existing on top of my head.

And now it's like, oh, that girl like goes and gets her haircut on a regular basis.

She like takes care of herself. Wow.

No, my my detail shop, I want to talk about fake nails for a second

because I don't really coming into my own on the fake nail trend.

Now, I feel like I've tried a lot of the ones from Target

and like, what are they like cool tips or something?

No, I don't like those.

I like the kiss and I will not.

They have links on them.

So they'll do like real short, short, medium, long.

If you're getting long, like that's crazy medium.

I accidentally picked up a medium and I'm like, these are too long.

Now you can cut them down, but they're like really patterned.

It's hard to like cut them down and make them look good.

I buy real short to short and I find that to be a really good length on me.

I get kissed or like five to like seven dollars.

I haven't found a kiss one that I don't like, but I will say like,

if you want to dip your toe, I think it's easier.

It's easier to get like the French or the nude ones, because then like,

if a nail does happen to pop off, you can kind of like go about your day

and like no one really notices that they're looking at your hands.

The problem with the really patterned or the colored ones is like,

if you do lose a nail, it's very obvious.

So from Eric's party, I did pick up like a colored one

and I put them on the day before, which thank goodness I did.

Because I like got a chip in one and I, whatever, I ended up ripping them

all off like a few days later.

So if you're going to go down the fake nail trend, if you want a fun pattern

or color, because maybe you have an event, put them on the day up slash the day before.

If you just like want to wear them throughout your day, get like a very neutral one

to take them off.

I think it's really easy.

I just kind of like, you can either soak them in water or I'll just

like kind of like bite off the end and like rip them off.

I mean, maybe that's not like the right thing to do, but I've never had

like nail damage from it.

So like the glue is not that strong.

They're not lasting me two weeks.

Okay.

Absolutely not.

They're lasting me five to seven days.

100% some cases, unfortunately, sometimes they fall off quicker, but then

like you just glue it back on if you still have it and go about your day.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, but you brought up fake nails.

So I also have been on my press on nail train.

I do get mine from a girl who's local to me, um, which I will be

gatekeeping for a number of reasons.

One, I don't want her to get too busy and two, literally unless you live like

within five minutes for me, which none of you do.

It's like not, she's not going to do it.

So it doesn't matter, but the press on nails have changed my life.

And I think it's all about expectations with press on nails because yeah,

like they're for an event and you're like, Oh, I put them on for an event.

It's like, yeah, they're $10 a manicure, 60.

So like if you need to have nails for an event, this is the most

cost effective way to do it.

I'm not a girl who like needs to have nails on in my everyday life.

Like I don't have nails on right now.

When we go speak, like what we're speaking at a conference this week,

like I'm going to put nails on for the conference.

And I didn't have to find time.

I didn't have to find time during my work day when I have childcare to go waste

my time at a nail salon.

It's such a waste of time.

I mean, if I'm the nail, so I think it's all about just like

understanding the expectation with them.

Yeah, they're not going to last two to three weeks, but it's like so much cheaper,

so much more convenient.

It's fine.

That's not what it's fine.

It takes me once you get good at it too.

Like it takes me like 10 minutes to put them on.

I've let it put them on in the car.

Like I put them on in the car too.

Um, see, I've definitely had some that randomly will last, um, like seven days.

And I'm like, wow, I got to remember this set.

And then I read by that set and it doesn't last again.

So I haven't really nailed that down.

Tell me to do them at night and then go to bed.

So like then you're not moving around as much.

And like the glue stays has more time to cure.

That's a good tip.

And then she, I file my nail, I file my nail and then I take a little file and

file the fake nail.

So like it gets like ridgier and then I put glue and then I press down.

Okay.

Um, yeah.

No, they're press on nails.

Like I'm shaking in my boots if I'm the nail industry because I'm sorry.

Like I don't know why it takes too long.

I don't know why it's not a good experience.

And I think this is a, I don't think this is a hot take.

I think this is like a universal thing.

It's like the last thing we want to do to spend.

It's such a chore.

No women have been like, I don't know if it was in the media or we've just been

gaslit to believe that going to the nail salon is a relaxing spot.

Like, Oh, just go get your nails done.

Like do something for you.

Like relax.

It is such a chore.

I hate being there.

I hate the whole thing.

I know same.

I don't know.

I of course like liked the results and I get how like, that's just like the

opinion of like sometimes as women, like we're told like doing like basic hygiene,

basic needs is like self care.

Yeah, totally.

It's like taking a shower and it's like, I just want to take the shower and

clean the kitchen.

It's like, then what?

You would just do like normal things.

It's like, no, go do something.

Yeah.

Like that would be self care.

Speaking of self care, I have started to do it, doing something that is self care.

And that is hot yoga.

Now I have been getting a lot of aches and pains.

Like, thank goodness.

Dr.

Charte fit is going to be my sister-in-law because I call her all the time for my

ailments.

Um, and I just think it's boiled down to like not working out, not moving as much

as I used to.

And, um, ultimately like I just need to stretch.

Um, so there's a hot yoga place super close to my house.

I used to like kind of like hot yoga.

Actually, I used to, I've always hated yoga, um, because how I used to, um, like

work out so much that I was like, wow, what a waste of my time to just like

stretch when I could be like lifting or like running.

Like I'm so on, was so unrelatable and had literally no responsibilities.

Um, but now I like really see hot yoga for what I think it is.

And that is like a deep stretch, a very hard workout and ultimately like a stretch.

Like I'm not going to go do a regular yoga class.

If I'm going to spend an hour stretching, like I'm going to be sweating my butt off.

How hot is it in the room?

Um, I don't know if it's hot though.

It's like you're, I've never been so drenched in sweat.

And I haven't done hot yoga in so long that I forgot you need like a towel on

your mat and a towel to like dry yourself off with while you're in it.

So I freaking raw dog it with just a single yoga mat.

I am slipping and sliding everywhere.

And then the, the, the teacher has the audacity to try and like adjust me when I'm

like barely making it into this position.

And I'm like holding on for dear life.

I don't slip.

Like it was not a very good experience, but I told Maddie as like this day of the

week, this time I'm doing hot yoga, you need to be home from work.

I'm buying a pack and I'm doing it.

So, um, that's my new self-care.

So I got a new mat stacked from stacked, which I'm really excited to try.

And I have a yoga town out.

So hopefully it goes better.

Well, that's so exciting.

Um, yeah, I could, I'm in the market for a new hobby.

I need a hobby that moves my body.

That's for sure.

That's what you're asking me.

Yeah.

I happened, well, I was doing the metal and moves together and then I had my allergic

reaction and I haven't gotten back to it since.

So I need to get on that.

Yeah.

That was tough.

Um, so I guess I need to get back to that.

Okay.

I wanted to do a base metal luxury that's really been on my mind lately.

Okay.

Remember our base metal luxury is where we share our recent new discovery.

That's just elevating our lives.

That's either like free or cheap.

Okay.

This one's free.

Less screen time.

Hmm.

I have really been disgusted with my phone lately.

Yeah.

I don't know what it is.

I just know I'm like, I know what I'm, I think the first step is I'm in.

I know I'm addicted to my phone, like, sorry, I am.

Okay.

I'm woman enough to say it.

I'm definitely addicted to my phone in some capacity.

And I don't like what it's doing to my brain.

I don't like being on it.

I don't like that how much tellers on his phone either.

But like one thing about me is it's like, I'm also like noticing it more

because I don't like it about myself.

Like, yeah, I'm not going to, I don't, I'm not going to like approach him and

be like, I think we just spend less time on our phones until I'm spending

less time on my phone.

So I'm going to like do it first.

And also like, it's fine.

Like that's his journey.

This is my journey.

I don't like how much time I'm spending on my phone.

I don't like how my screen time is.

I don't like how dependent I feel on it.

And I am putting the phone down in a major way.

Um, I agree.

I wanted to say something about this exact topic.

Um, number one, like if I, so I'm taking care of the kids, I have tours.

If I pick up my phone, then, and I hate to admit this, then James comes

and like ask me for something.

It's immediate.

Like what?

Like I'm not like, I'm not meeting.

I'm like, with the kindness that he deserves.

I'm, I'm irritable.

And I'm like, ugh, I have to clean the kitchen.

Whereas like, if I would have just never picked my phone up and I would have

gotten James what he needed, and then I were to go to clean the kitchen and

then he comes back and needs me.

Oh, what do you need my love?

Like I'm just so happier and think I'm more productive and I'm happier and I'm

not going down horrible rabbit holes that we all know exist on the internet.

And I'm not like, I just, the internet is just such a hateful place.

Like then I sometimes get filled with the same hatred.

And like, I just, I'm irritable.

I don't like it.

And like the other day, like I was, we were on the couch here.

I like, James needed something.

And so we went into the other room and he grabbed my phone and handed it to me.

And I'm like, my son thinks that I have to bring my phone with me everywhere I go.

That's so crazy.

Yeah.

So I don't exactly know like what it's going to look like.

I'm trying not to put like any like hard and fast rules in place at the moment,

but like my number one tip would be to, if you have an iPhone, I don't know if

you can do this on an Android.

But if you have an iPhone, you can add your screen time to your main screen.

So like, here's what mine looks like.

Three hours and 15 minutes and it's 1145.

Now granted, I was up for like an hour with Libby trying to get a

wreck to bed and stroll on my phone.

I'll be honest, but like, I got to put it away, but I like seeing that every day.

And it needs to go down.

Like, I know what it's at now.

It needs to be cut in half.

Yeah.

And I work on my phone and I still know I can cut it in half because

that's not the problem.

I also, I don't mind how like the work I do on my phone is fine.

And it's even like to go in on Instagram and like checking in with my favorites.

Like that's, that's one thing.

It's just like the endless scrolling that simply has to stop.

And it's the doing it while I'm doing other things that I also don't like.

Yes.

You know what I mean?

I noticed this, this past weekend actually.

And like, again, like I'm just like really exposing myself in hopes that

like maybe you feel, um, maybe I'm not alone in this, but it was like, I was

like making ground beef and I was like stirring the ground beef, which is a

mindless thing.

And I was like scrolling my phone while I was doing it.

I'm like, why can't I just be here and make ground beef?

Like I'm not even just sitting on the couch and scrolling, even like rocking

a baby and scrolling is different.

Like I'm cooking and I feel like I have to scroll.

That's crazy.

No, it's crazy.

And I used to be like, okay, I'm not going to scroll, but like I'm going to

listen to a podcast and I'm going to listen to an audio book.

And I'm actually challenging myself to not even do that because I think the

problem is like, I'm just like always looking for, like, it's almost like my

attention span is broken.

Like I'm always looking for more.

And not to say you can't ever like listen to a podcast while you're

folding laundry or something, but it's like the constant.

It's like, well, I'm not going to scroll on a podcast or like, let me do this.

Or like, I'm just going to try to just be there a little bit more.

And I've even like started to see videos on it.

TikTok.

Now people are like sitting in silence for one hour to fix my attention

span and they record themselves with a timer sitting there for one hour.

Because that's how like desperate everybody is to like, I know, like fix

their self.

So I think a lot of it for me is just going to be, I'm just going to like

leave my phone more places, you know, and, you know, we're so obsessed with the

like, well, what if someone needs me?

Well, like if you're with my kids and my husband are home, like no one needs

me that bad.

No one needs someone like needs me like 911 emergency, like call me call Maddie.

Like, like one of us will probably see it.

Like you can sure you'll go to hold of us eventually.

No, sure.

Sure.

But like, I'll like leave my phone and then I'm like, oh my gosh, it's been like

an hour and a half since you took my phone.

Guess what?

No notifications.

Literally, nothing, nothing, nothing, no one needed me.

Honestly, too much of it too much too many people, myself included, have been

using that as a crutch for too long.

And I don't know, I'm not going to delete the apps off my phone because I

can't cause I'd like need them for work.

Um, and because, because I also, I want to have a healthy relationship with it,

not no relationship with it, but it's really just like, it's fine.

And I'm not, yeah, I don't feel weird about like the scrolling in bed or like,

I'm not even going to do like the hour before bed.

Like, I'm sorry, I can't really buy into that right now.

Cause like that's sometimes the only time I really have to like do something.

It's just like, I don't like that I'm doing it around my kids.

He don't like that it's making me, I just, I need to do it less.

Yeah.

I want to look into my screen time in half.

That's really my goal.

Yeah.

Uh, we're aligned.

And I think it's a good, like, I think it's a very good check-in.

Like, can you do it?

Like our, how addicted are you?

Like, can you just put your mind to it?

I don't know.

I'm going to find out, I guess.

Totally.

And I've been doing some, I have an Alexa in the kitchen and I've been

turning music on cause like music is enough.

Yeah.

Just like a little music.

If you need a little something that's fine.

Yeah.

Um, yeah.

So that's my base model luxury.

Um, I don't really have one.

So we'll just go with that cause I agree with you.

I think we should all just do that this year.

I agree with you.

I just like have like a funny thing to talk about.

Um, and maybe that there, maybe there's like other, it's like a military thing.

So just let me be like a military wife for a second.

Maybe other women can relate to me.

Um, nothing is funnier to me than when like Maddie and or I are like, this

happened to us the other day, we asked for a military discount for something.

And, um, someone was like, Oh yeah, of course, like who served.

And what's, it's not funny that someone could look at me and assume that I

was in the military because like I, I realistically, I could be like, if you

know me, you know, I never could, but like, if you're looking at me, like you

can't say like that girl could never be in the military.

Like please, what's hilarious that you could look at my husband and assume that

this six, five, a mustached man who gets his hair cut the way that he has since

he was in the Marine Corps, could conceivably not be in the military.

And it just like cracks me up every single time.

It's like, really?

Again, not like I could.

You could look at me and be like, she could be in the military.

Like that's not far fetched.

It is crazy that anyone would look at Maddie.

They were wondering if you both work.

It's like, oh, it had to have been that served.

It's like, did you do it?

Like, did you guys meet there?

You guys meet in the military.

Yeah.

No.

Your husband is so stereotypical military looks like an arc.

Like he just looks, he just looks like a Marine like they really should put

him on a poster.

Stare, most stereotypical Marine I've ever seen.

I kind of, I totally agree.

Yeah.

Anyway, that was just like a funny thing that happened.

That is funny.

I can't relate, but I hope other people can.

Um, also I had the craziest dream last night.

I want to know if you have dreams like this.

I hate hearing about other people's dreams for the record, but sure.

Go ahead.

Do you ever have dreams that you're in high school?

All the high school?

No.

College.

I had a dream like you forgot to study.

Forgot to study, haven't been to class all semester.

Can't find my planner.

I have.

Yes.

I, yes.

I have those, but about college.

I think we, we all have those.

Oh my gosh.

And I'm telling you, we need to investigate that because we obviously are all

having trauma from those days.

Perchance.

And why, like we're, like the dreams are telling us something there.

Yeah.

We're all having trauma and we're not really investigating what, what, what

that's all about.

Why, why we feel that way.

Yeah.

Sorry.

I just had to give up on my chest.

I had it and I woke up this morning and I'm literally like still shook from it.

That I like didn't go to class all semester and I didn't know when exams were

and I lost my planner.

Yeah.

No, that's stressful.

I know.

Okay.

Well, we have some advice questions.

If you want to dust off the old advice, if you want to advise, I would literally

love to advise.

I've honestly miss advising.

We've had to pause the consultations for October for just like all of our travel

and like allergic reactions and things like that.

Um, but I've received like one of my favorite compliments is like someone

ending up with the card that I told them they were going to get.

And I'm telling you, it almost always happens.

And like my sister-in-law is looking for a car right now and like, I just knew

they were going to end up with an atlas.

And I'm like, listen, you can like go, but like, there are very much people who

like wanted to test drive and look at everything.

And of course I'm like, and I think you should, but it is the scenic route

because I just know for a fact you're going to end up right back here and on

this atlas and they didn't, and that just feels good.

No, for sure.

Just validating for sure.

Not like I didn't want them to do the journey, but it was just like, yeah, I know.

You see anything or two.

Okay.

Um, for kids advice for second car.

Hello.

We're expecting our fourth child next year and we will need to replace our second

car.

Our primary primary vehicle is an Expedition Max, but our second backup

car is a Lexus ES 350.

Okay.

We've never actually needed to have all three in that one, but have the

appropriate car seats for emergency situations.

Obviously no way to make it work with four kids.

So we need to think of a new one.

Our driveway is pretty small.

So trying to stay as compact as possible, not concerned about having

truck space as we won't use it day to day.

The deets new enough to have car play accommodate four car seats under 40 K kids

are slash will be in kids are slash will be an infant to four and six.

All petite.

So still in convertible seats, collect flow in expedition.

Have been considering a GV 80 or an older Mercedes GLB.

No, I don't like those options.

Okay.

So I don't like the GV 80.

That's way, that's much, I actually find that much too small.

And the third rows are only optional.

So they can also kind of be hard to find.

And then you add on like the layer of winning one under 40 K.

So then you're in the pre-owned market.

I think there's a lot, I think there's better options than that, but since

they gave two luxury cars, it's kind of feeling like they might be interested

in doing luxury, like pre-owned luxury, which is a bit of a hard box to check

in this scenario, because four kids in luxury cars is just kind of tough.

Like I think, I think if you, and I mean, I feel like if this is only for, let's

say emergencies and like not, I mean, it sounds like they're never going to be there.

You just like, you, you appreciate the peace of mind to be able to fit four kids

in both cars, depending on when your four year old turns five, I would maybe

consider the vault, the Volvo XC 90 as like a good option for you.

Knowing though that you would have to put the four and the six year old in booster

seats because the third row doesn't have tether anchors, but it's a compact car.

It's similar to the GV 80.

And in terms of like, you know, booster safety versus harness safety, as long as

you get a good fit with the seat belt and your child's mature enough to stay in

the seat, it's not necessarily like all that much safer necessarily to keep them

in the harness versus the booster.

And I'm also thinking like, you know, this is, you're already saying you might

never use this.

And you're also saying like, they're only going to be, your kids are just going

to get older.

So I'm also trying to be mindful about like, what has good reliability?

What has good safety?

What's a good value that could also continue to grow with the family?

So I think you'd like the Volvo XC 90 and I would give you my seal of approval

to do it, provided you wait till the four year old turns five and then do the

booster situation.

If you want to go luxury, and I think you could find pre-owned ones, they're reliable.

So I said what I needed to say about that.

I think if you're looking mass market, I think the Toyota Highlander would also

be a good consideration.

So not the grand, just the standard Highlander.

It's small for sure, but it fits.

It's got the third row.

Just to get the captain's chairs, get the third row.

You know, I like the reliability and I like that you could go pre-owned and

definitely get one for that 40 K price point.

I do think you'd run into the same situation though, like with the tether

anchor situation, because I think the Toyota Grand, the Toyota Highlander, the

pre-owned ones don't have a tether anchor on one of the outboard seats.

But again, your six year old is fine to go to a booster in, in, in this, in this

situation, I think.

Um, so those are two.

You were able to fit your whole family in the Hyundai Santa Fe.

That's a great, yeah.

I, yes, I don't know about under 40 though, for the new body style and the

old buy style didn't have the third row, but I think that's a good option.

I think that's a great option, actually.

So I think those are plenty of things to consider.

So those are considerations.

Okay.

Considerations.

Um, okay.

Just bring up the question though, like, and I mean, to also give you like, I, I

don't want to say peace of mind, because if you feel like you need to do that, like

I want you to do that, but we don't have, I mean, Tyler's truck couldn't

fit the whole family if we needed to.

Yeah.

And I don't know.

I would say it would be a really crazy situation where like the, the primary car

that fits the kids isn't there and we need to emergency evacuate and take all

the kids in this other.

I get, so I would also just say, I'd really, I'd really think through the

situations with what that would work.

Like if it's a, if it's a frequent occurrence, if it's like, no, like, you

know, he's got to go pick up all the kids from daycare.

I get it.

But if you're approaching like apocalyptic reasons, I would, I would, I would try

to put your mind at ease because it does sound like it'd be a very rare scenario.

And like, and I think a lot of family, I mean, yeah, like I said, my family, we

couldn't all fit in Tyler's truck.

So yeah.

Fair point.

Just something to think about, you know.

Um, okay.

We have another car related one.

If that's okay with you.

Yeah, that's fine.

Um, I currently drive a 2014 Ford Explorer limited.

I'm expecting baby number two who'll ride in a Kiko key fit max.

My oldest will be Ford facing in a bright tax poplar at the time of baby's arrival.

I regularly drive my sister in niece will be rear facing a bright tax poplar to

doctor's appointments.

My question is, is it possible to fit these three seats in the second row of my

Explorer, or do I move my oldest to the third row when my niece is with me looking

to avoid this because of the projectile risk as we typically need strollers and

do grocery pickups while out.

We eventually went to upgrade for an expedition, but I'm hoping to get a few

more years out of the Explorer.

What years is her Explorer 14.

Oh, I don't think it will work, but I can't say I've tried that

combination in a 14 Explorer.

I'm not super.

If I'm being honest, I haven't had enough experience with that body style.

The Ford Explorer changed, I think in 20 and things got a lot better for three across.

So I would say if I, if my gut had to tell me, I would say I don't think it will work.

Even with those slimmer seats, I mean, the previous body style bench just sucked.

Yeah.

Um, that's a short answer.

Okay.

I haven't tried it.

I don't think so.

And if you, if you are thinking about, give you like the idea of a Ford Explorer,

let me tell you what year it changed.

Because when it changed, it got, hold on.

You can also like, if you are struggling with it changed in 11 to 19 was the fifth

generation, that was pretty rough 2020 and above got slightly better for three across.

If you're looking for super specific situations like this, like there are car

seat checks all over the country.

So like you can try and install it or just take it to a CPST.

I disagree with that.

Oh, I actually disagree with that.

Three across is completely different than doing a car seat check.

And like you, so yeah, you can try to do it and then you can go to a tech and

confirm the seats are in place.

But if you really mean, yeah, to see if they're installed properly and since, yeah,

but if you're like looking to do three across in your car and you have a specific

situation, that's why we have the chat CPST service.

And when I say that like Sam, who does our service is one of the only people in

the country who has the knowledge to advise on those.

Like, I mean that, like I sought her out stalker because it is such a niche skill

set to know, to be familiar enough with the cars, the car seats, the generations,

the types of car seats and to do three across.

And that's why when we do our chat, we guarantee a fit or we give you your money back.

So yeah, if you have the seats and you want to, want to try it out, try it out.

I would recommend getting it looked at.

Yeah.

But if you're not sure that you're somebody else, like I cannot recommend our

chat CPST service enough.

It can save you thousands of dollars if you don't have to go, tens of thousands

dollars if you don't have to go get a new car.

And if we can't fit, we give you your money back.

It's giving win-win.

And I don't even do them because I know when to pass the baton and I need to pass

the baton to the right person.

And that would be Sam.

Yeah.

Well, those are our advice questions.

If you want to write in to get your own advice, you can write

into hello at the carmomofficial.com.

Okay.

And now are you ready for a dish to the drive through or we give you an easy

dinner recipe to mix it up to get ready to interrupt?

I sure am.

It's still Crocktober.

I'm behind.

I did not make the last one because I had an allergic reaction.

I said, you're catching up.

I said, I wasn't going to make it my personality.

And I hear I am talking about it a lot.

You guys, I met with my allergist.

I don't think so.

I met with my allergist and she was wonderful.

Dr. Vitale in St. Louis.

Shout out in the best way possible.

I think she just has really good bedside manners.

Is that what they call it?

Like she just, and she knew what I needed to hear.

And I think that's really important in a doctor.

Cause in the best way possible, she just kind of taught me that like giving

yourself an EpiPen is not that big of a deal because I was thinking like, like,

I was just having all these visions of like me suffocating and like trying to

fumble for my EpiPen and like give it to myself with my four kids around me.

Like that's just the vision I had.

And like, of course that could happen.

But she's like, you know, it's not a big deal.

Like she's like, you know, if you accidentally eat anchovies and you realize

like take out your EpiPen, just give it to yourself.

Like she, she kind of like drew the comparison to like, it's the same

thing as popping a Benadryl, but like this is just going to be way easier.

And she's like, just Epi, like when in doubt, Epi, not when in doubt, but like

if you're feeling like it, you should.

And it just made the whole thing seem less daunting.

And then I also got a prescription for, I forget what it's called in my

interest didn't cover it, of course, but I ended up buying for it.

It's a, it's like a nasal spray that I'll also be able to have with me.

Okay.

And then I had to wait a month to go back and do more blood work because

initially my blood work came back negative, but that's probably because

like it wasn't that comprehensive of an allergy test.

I didn't have, I had Benadryl in my system kind of snail.

So it was a whole thing.

So I am testing for that.

She is a little worried I will develop a cod allergy because I guess

anchovies and cod are very similarly related.

And I just said, but I just got into frying fish.

Yeah.

Like, no, I fry fish though.

And I go to a lot of fit.

I'm like, I'm Catholic.

We go to a lot of fries.

Like what is lens mean for me?

I genuinely don't know.

I don't know what that means either.

For me.

A lot of pasta nights, I guess.

A lot of spaghetti.

No meat.

But she says like, obviously I was negative to cod on my test, but

we're, so we're going to test for it, but just things to think about.

Things to think about.

So anyway, so it's easy to do a recipe to mix it up.

So I'm behind.

I didn't get to make last ones, but did you, you didn't make it either?

No, I didn't.

Honestly, like I wanted to be brave and like try a new flavor profile.

And I was just like, no one in my family.

I know no one's going to eat this different flavor profile.

Like everyone's just so picky.

Okay.

Well, this one I'm excited about.

This is from butter with a side of bread.

Obsessed.

Good blog name.

Easy crock pot, ham and bean soup.

You knew I'd get the ham and bean in here.

Come on now.

Snuck it in there.

You knew I would do it.

Now this one I thought was like a good, the recipe that, that we're linking,

they're using dry beans and then they're like putting the beans in there all day

to make it like a six to eight hour thing.

I probably will do canned beans, but then I won't add them till the end

cause I wouldn't want them to get overcooked, but it's a ham bone or a ham

hawk in the crock pot.

Now you're going to have to source this.

Okay.

You're going to have to source a ham hawk.

Where do you, where does one get a ham hawk?

I think the most grocery store should have it.

And I think you could like go up to the butcher at the grocery store and say,

where can I get a ham hawk?

Okay.

I know I'm stretching you guys.

I'm stretching you guys.

No, this is a big stretch.

The huge stretch, but you need that to get that depth of flavor.

It's so, so, so, so important.

Okay.

And then everything else is pretty standard.

Okay.

It's like great Northern beans, you know, one ham bone or with ham or

two smoked ham hawks.

Okay.

You can do it.

You guys can do it.

We can do it.

Okay.

Um, and if like you can get the recipe on the car mom's website and also if

you're part of the email blast, then it was, we blasted it.

We send it out on the blast and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Um, okay.

Well, let's move right along to Blake's besties, which is our segment in October

where we, um, honor the babies that we, our followers and everyone lost too soon.

Um, during pregnancy and infant loss awareness month.

So we are going to read a few stories.

Um, okay.

I will start.

Um, okay.

Hi ladies.

Um, we have two daughters that we were able to conceive without issue, TLDR after

four years of secondary infertility.

We ended up having our sweet boy on our first embryo transfer of December 2021 and

had six embryos stored away for our eventual fourth baby in May of 2023.

We decided the time was right for us to complete our family.

I again went to dozens appointments, took the score of meds and even skipped our

annual road trip visit to the in-laws.

So I could have the embryo transfer on June 12th.

We were incredibly lucky and blessed.

I became pregnant on our first embryo transfer again.

Everyone was so excited for this last piece of the puzzle.

Even the morning sickness that started a few weeks later on a road trip to

Pensacola beach was welcomed as it meant everything was going along perfectly on

July 25th, 2023, our 14th wedding anniversary.

I had a second ultrasound to monitor some light bleeding I had experienced when

the tech started the exam, it didn't bother, bother me that I didn't hear the

heartbeat right away because the volume was always turned off at first, but

after about 30 seconds, she whispered, I'm so sorry.

I can't, I can't see or find a heartbeat and I froze.

I didn't react at all.

It wasn't until she left the room that I was alone that I cried when the doctor

came in to confirm and talk about my options going forward.

I had to push away my devastation and go into decision making mode.

I was seven weeks pregnant.

After that loss, we ended up trying again and again and again and again.

Four agains in total.

We transferred five of the six remaining embryos.

We had one left, one ended up having an incompatible with life abnormality and

none of them were successful at the very end of it.

I asked them, I asked for them to let me know what sex was the one we lost.

It was a girl because it was so early.

Sometimes I don't even know if I can say baby or her rather than it.

The last conversation I had with my doctor said she felt like for his own reasons,

God had personally intervened in this because she literally threw everything

she had trying to give us another baby.

I had two unassisted pregnancies and the two first tri transfer pregnancy was

more than capable for his, for reasons only he knows it's not in the cards for

us. She's spelling he as in God, if that wasn't clear.

I can honestly say, I agree with her.

I can't explain why, but I feel it to be true.

But I still think about those and what the final baby girl would have brought to

life. Thank you for doing this every year.

I really, this one like really struck me just like when she was in the room alone

to get that news.

And I guess I've just never really thought about it like that explicitly.

Like I just think when you find out this news, like you should be with your husband

or your family or just like someone and just like to be in that very vulnerable

state. And just to like get that news by yourself.

I just like can't imagine how branching that must have been.

Yeah, I agree.

Okay. This comes from Lauren.

Hi, Kelly and Liz. I'm a long time listener, Volkswagen Atlas enthusiast and

mom of three kids on earth and one in heaven each year.

I've listened to Blake's besties and thought, man, I should send in my story.

This year I've missed some other remembrance opportunities.

So I figured this was the ultimate way to share brin with you and your listeners.

Sorry, I just, I had to make the text bigger.

I've been part of the worst club, the baby loss club since 2020 in late 2019.

I found that I was expecting my second daughter, my second daughter,

Bryn at our 12 weeks scan. I could feel something was off.

Moms always know the ultrasound showed an increased NT measurement.

And I was advised to get an NIPT drawn a week later.

We were told Bryn has Down syndrome as an educator.

I knew that while this wasn't what I had planned or envisioned,

it would be okay.

I spent the next 12 weeks preparing for a child with extraordinary needs,

but one that is still so loved at our 24 week scan.

After feeling something was off, I was told Bryn had died.

I was induced and delivered her 36 hours later on 12, 26, 2020.

226, 2020.

What?

It was 226, right?

226, 2020. Since then,

I have become a now I lay me down to sleep photographer for families

experiencing loss donated bracelets and memory to the Cooper project and

partnered with Adeline Rose foundation to tell, to tell,

to sell t-shirts to benefit the mission of continuous care for families who

have experienced loss.

We always say worst club best people and it couldn't be more true.

Well, I wish none of us knew the heartbreak. We've all,

we've got an unbreakable bond remembering Bryn Blake and all the besties in

heaven with love, Bryn's mom.

Yeah.

I love my favorite mom. Like my favorite is like George's mom,

Libby's mom. Like I just think that's an, I like, that's,

that's a good sign off.

Yeah, I agree. Um, okay. This comes from Audra.

I'm not sure if this is the right place too,

but I felt inspired to tell you my story.

My husband and I decided to trust the Lord with our story and made the right

choices to stop using birth control very shortly after we got pregnant.

I absolutely loved being pregnant.

I needed my ice cold water and could eat strawberries like crazy when it was time

for my son Hewitt to be born. He came through a C-section almost immediately

after this perfect arrival,

I started having major complications and they couldn't control the bleeding.

Ultimately in the decision to save my life,

I needed to have a hysterectomy. This is this never,

this is never the story my husband and I would have imagined,

but the Lord was incredibly present throughout throughout it all.

It's hard to put in the words, the peace that comes from Him.

Now I've learned to hold space for the best thing that ever happened to my son.

I also have the experience,

I also had the experience of losing the ability to have children through my body.

We are praying for our future family and wondering if adoption is something the

Lord has for us. Thank you for reading this. It's such a good reminder that you

have no idea the life someone else is living. So like this one,

how happy you chose this one is just like,

she didn't lose a baby,

but she lost the ability to have babies.

And I think that that is something to be mourned and something to be talked

about and something to be shared as she felt comfortable enough to share it with

us. And so like I wanted to share it with everyone that like, yeah,

you have no idea what someone else is living. You have no idea like,

like you make, like you make plans, like everyone says, Oh,

how many kids do you want? It's like, Oh, I want five kids.

Like I want a big family. And then, you know, you just,

you never know. And just like her faith is like just really inspiring.

And so I want to share that story as well. I'm really happy you chose that one.

So with that, that's going to be our episode.

So hope you enjoy your weekend and we will talk to you next time. Love you guys.

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.

YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN JEANS

About this episode

Volkswagen Rabbit

Porsche 911

Volkswagen Atlas

Lexus ES 350

Ford Expedition

Mercedes-Benz GLB

Genesis GV80

Volvo XC90

Toyota Highlander

Hyundai Santa Fe

Ford Explorer

projectile risk

body style

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