Podcasts and Books

A while back I shared which podcasts I listen to. My list today is pretty much the same with maybe one new addition.

• The Lazy Genius. Kendra, the host of The Lazy Genius, would so be my friend in real life if she lived in my town! I love her ideas! She gives practical, doable tips about all areas of homemaking and personal care. Her topics range from how to cook chicken, to skin care, to planning your holidays without losing your mind. She always breaks down things into small, manageable steps, and I am always encouraged after listening to her. Her podcast is weekly, and it is fairly short, around 15 minutes an episode.
• The Big Boo Cast. Sophie and Melanie are so much fun to listen to. It's really like listening in on their phone conversation. They discuss lighthearted topics such as college football (specifically Mississippi State and Texas A&M), make-up, skin care products, fashion, pets, TV shows, books, and a host of other topics. I love this podcast! They just released (just this morning!) their much anticipated holiday gift giving guide. I cannot wait to listen!
• Happier With Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth discuss ways to be happier in your daily life. They include tips on improving your quality of life in areas like fitness, productivity, and relationships. Gretchen and Elizabeth live a life very unlike mine (Sophie and Melanie from the Big Boo Cast are certainly more relatable)--Gretchen is a former attorney and now she is a best selling author, and Elizabeth is a TV writer and producer, yet most of the time they have practical ideas. This is a very polished podcast. 

I am currently reading Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. I previously read his book Hannah Coulter, and it ranks up there with one of my all time favorite books! I highly recommend it. Most of his books are set in a fictional town called Port William. The books read like memoirs, but they are fiction. I hope to read all of Berry's works.

I will share more of my summer reading later. 

Podcasts I Like

I discovered the world of podcasts several months (or even over a year?) ago. I began with Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast, and I started at the beginning and listened to every single episode. I have since added Northeast COC, The Big Boo Cast, Side Hustle School, and Note to Self to my podcast library. I subscribe to all of these, and I download and listen to them whenever I can.  My normal podcast listening times are when I am in the car alone running errands or driving to the airport (about a 2 hour drive). Our whole family used to listen to the Florida College Daily Chapel podcasts until they switched to livestreaming chapel and dropped the podcast format.  Occasionally the kids will listen to podcasts with me--we will listen to sermons as a family while traveling--but the only podcast that I regularly listen to that holds their interest is Side Hustle School. So I usually just listen when I am alone. Sometimes I listen to podcasts when I am running outside.

Here is a little overview of each podcast I like. (I don't know how to include a link to the podcasts.....I just did a search in the podcast app on my iPhone to find the podcasts.  Then I subscribed to each one, and just like magic, a new episode appears on the feed on my phone whenever it is published.)

• Happier With Gretchen Rubin:  Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth discuss a variety of happiness related topics, usually within the framework of the four personality tendencies that Gretchen has developed. The share a happiness hack (a handy tip), a happiness stumbling block, reader questions, and gold stars and demerits. They also sometimes interview guests, which I always find interesting.  The podcast is light-hearted and fun, and sometimes I even laugh out loud at Gretchen and Elizabeth.
• Northeast COC: These are the weekly recorded sermons of our preacher, Trey Haskett. Trey has been working with our congregation since July, and he is such a good speaker. He is very knowledgable of God's Word, and his sermons are practical, encouraging, and inspiring. 
• The Big Boo Cast: If you need a good laugh, then listen to any of Boo Mama's (Sophie) and Big Mama's (Melanie) podcasts. I have not listened to all of them, but I plan to start at their very first episode and get caught up. Leanna described this podcast the best...."It's like listening in on their phone conversations!" Sophie and Melanie talk about everything and nothing, and it is so entertaining! Some of their topics include kitchen renovations, skin care, fashion, TV shows (which I never know what they are talking about since we don't have cable!), their supper plans, and their daily life. Such a fun podcast!
• Side Hustle School:  This is a new podcast, just launched on January 1 of this year. Chris Guillebeau hosts a daily, yes 7 days a week, podcast featuring stories of people with successful side-hustles. I learned that a side-hustle is a part time job that you have in addition to your normal full-time job. The people and the their stories are fascinating to me! Each podcast is about 7-8 minutes, so they are perfect for a short drive in the car. Like I said earlier, Leah and Sam will listen to this one without complaint. 
• Note To Self:  Manoush Zomorodi is the host of this podcast about how technology affects our daily life. Sometimes the episodes are a little weird (to me), but overall I really enjoy them. I have not listened to all of them. I usually pick and choose based on the title and content description. I am especially interested in the episodes concerning our digital privacy. Fascinating. One of my favorite Note To Self podcasts is actually a series from last year Manoush did chronicling two working mothers and their quest to launch an app to help working mothers with their homemaking responsibilities. I was struck by the struggle they face balancing work, marriage, and parenting. Very interesting. I will say that this blog features content that is really far removed from my daily life, but that is one reason I like it so much. People can be so different in so many ways, but also we are the same. 

What about you? Do you listen to any podcasts? Do you think I would like to add them to my playlist?