Best podcast

Autumn: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

While I have become a podcast connoisseur of sorts, my all time favorite is Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. They release an episode every Monday and Thursday and I find myself looking forward to those days like I’m being given a gift or going on a fun outing. The sense of humor and thoughtful questions intrinsically integrated in every episode keep me coming back every week. On Mondays, they talk to different types of celebrities and on Thursdays they interview “experts” of varied subjects. What’s unique about these interviews is they go beyond the expected inquiries and reach the core of the human condition with every guest they have on. Consequently I find myself learning so much more than I ever expect to, and gaining a greater respect and understanding for the human experience, including my own.

Lindsay: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I was introduced to On Purpose at the end of last year, and it’s been my go-to podcast this year for all things helpful, informative and inspiring! Jay was a monk for three years, and I absolutely love the timeless wisdom and truths he shares and tries to instill in his listeners. I also love the guests he brings on, and no matter what episode I choose to listen to, I always know I’m going to learn something that can make my life more meaningful.

best show

Autumn: Schitt’s Creek

The week before Christmas was a rough one for me. Between personal injury accompanied by several doctor visits and the loss of a young pet, being sleep deprived and trying to prepare for the holiday, Schitt’s Creek from Netflix carried me through. My cousin introduced me to this show in the nick of time. The show was created by Eugene Levy and his son Daniel Levy. It has a fantastic cast and the humor is witty, intelligent, and unexpectedly heart warming. The way this show makes me laugh is unlike any other series I’ve watched before and comedy is my favorite genre. After a year like 2020, Schitt’s Creek is just what the doctor ordered.

Lindsay: New Girl

This was a hard one because I feel like my husband and I watched sooooo many shows this year! Hello quarantine! Towards the end of the year I kept telling my husband, “I need a show that’s funny, witty and won’t make me think. I just want to laugh.” And so, he suggested we restart New Girl. And we straight up binged the first three seasons, and I’m looking forward to finishing it up in the new year. If you haven’t watched New Girl on Netflix, PLEASE DO. So funny and the perfect comfort show with great characters!

Runner up: For a more serious watch, When They See Us was incredible. I thought this was one of the best and most well-done shows I have watched in a long time. It’s actually a docuseries. I watched it early in the year and recommended it to several of my friends.

best movie 

Autumn: Crazy Rich Asians

In January of this year, I had my wisdom teeth removed. For three days, I got to hang out and watch whatever movie I wanted. It was GLORIOUS. I had been told multiple times by a close friend that I should absolutely see Crazy Rich Asians. Given this opportunity, I turned it on and it did not disappoint. I liked it so much, in fact, that I watched it a total of three times in three days. Excessive, I know. 

Lindsay: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

I am always a sucker for a sweet and mindless rom-com. This year I can’t say I watched a ton of movies (besides a lot of kid movies), but I did think To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was super cute! There’s a sequel, too! 

best book

Autumn: Untamed.

Honestly, just read this book. Glennon Doyle outdid herself and changed my world paradigm in 352 pages. 

Lindsay: Big Magic

Ok, so Untamed was my #1, too (lots of amazing conversations between me and Autumn stemmed from that book!) But a close second would be Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Such an inspiring, fun and quick read!

best quote

Autumn: “I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.” –Rose Kennedy

Lindsay: “The comeback is always stronger than the setback”

best app

Autumn: Sweat 

This fitness app is my saving grace for the daily grind, and Kayla Itsines has partnered with so many inspiring and talented women to bring such a wide variety of options that make staying in shape feasible no matter what your lifestyle looks like.

Lindsay: Les Mills On Demand and Kindle

I teach Les Mills classes at my local gym, so I am definitely biased, but these are THE BEST workouts! And this app has saved me this year when I haven’t been able to teach or work out at the gym.

best snack

Autumn: Peanut Butter Rice Cake

For me, the simplicity of a brown rice cake with peanut butter, sliced bananas or fresh raspberries with cinnamon sprinkled on top, maybe some drizzled honey if you want to get crazy, always hits the spot. 

Lindsay: Popcorners! 

I am partial to the Kettle Corn flavor. Beware–they are crack masked as chips.

best song

Autumn: Blinding Lights

The song Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is a song I could listen to over and over and never get sick of. I listen to a wide variety of genres, but any song that makes me want to dance quickly becomes a favorite. We’ve played this song many a night in our kitchen and a full blown dance party commences. Whenever you just need to move, Blinding Lights delivers. 

Lindsay: Girl In The Mirror

This catchy song by Bebe Rexha was on repeat in my house for maybe three months straight. My kids and I loved the movie Ugly Dolls and its fun soundtrack! Plus, what a great message that we can all afford to be reminded of!

best memory

Autumn: My eldest daughter turned 13 years old this past July. To celebrate, we took a trip to our family’s lake house, and she brought a friend. Traveling with the kids, sharing stories, stopping on the side of the road to pee, and watching them enjoy water sports was truly magical for me. She created and did a great deal cooking the menu for her birthday dinner and I made her a Peach Raspberry Pie. I’ll always remember and be so grateful for that trip.

Lindsay: My sisters and mom and I took a girls trip to Vegas in January and had a blast! Little did we know what the rest of the year would bring. I have a polaroid sticker of the five of us from that trip stuck to the inside of my car door, and I love that every time I get in my car I’m reminded of that awesome trip. We ate a lot, got dressed up, walked the strip, shopped, were goofy and literally laughed our pants off. Here’s to hopefully many more sister/mom trips!

most valuable lesson

Autumn: my worth is not defined by my productivity or by how I’m perceived by others. This might seem obvious, and while I understand it’s a concept that every person has been presented with in one way or another, it is admittedly a hard one for me to fully accept. This year has been funky, to say the least, and everyone experienced a paradigm shift or 20. Learning to loosen my grip on how I define being productive as well as releasing the need to hit some imaginary standard are works in progress, but I’m trying, nonetheless.

Lindsay: What DIDN’T I learn this year?! Probably my biggest lesson of the year (or at least the area where I got the most practice) was learning to SURRENDER… and to be ok with whatever outcomes. I also learned to not allow others to dictate my feelings. This year was so up and down, and I definitely had many moments where I felt like I was on a rollercoaster that I just wanted to get off of! Consequently, my attitude became a reflection of outside factors. I think this year has provided me with many chances to practice meditation tools like breathing, mindfulness, equanimity and more. 

 Thank you for reading, friends! Please tell us YOUR favorites or a valuable lesson you learned this year in the comments. We would love to hear!

xo,