WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.000 Elsie 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.000 You're listening to the A Beautiful Must podcast, your cozy comfort listen. I'm your host, Elsie Larson. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Emma 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:04.000 And I'm your host, Emma Chapman. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Elsie 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:06.000 This week, we're chatting about creating a dream life schedule that includes routines and rituals that 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:07.000 work together to create a highly customized dream life. I love the subject because it's something that I 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:08.000 need in my personal life right now, and I think it's something that can help a lot of our listeners. So, 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:09.000 consider this a group project. Yeah, so designing a dream life, we have these are the categories, or the 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:10.000 these are the bullet points. We're going to do a declutter phase, we're going to do setting up and trying 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.000 out new routines, like a testing phase, and then tweaking, experimenting until it's perfect, and then 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:12.000 small refreshes you can do each season to kind of keep it up. So I think that designing your life, your 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:13.000 routines, the way you spend your days is just as important as any other thing you could like any other 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:14.000 kind of glow up you could have in your life, like you want to work on your parents, you want to 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:15.000 redecorate your home, you want to redesign your dream life. I think this is like an equally valid one, but 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:16.000 I don't hear it discussed as much. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:17.000 Emma 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:18.000 I don't either. I almost feel like people think, like, oh, I can't have that, it's like a non-starter in some 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:19.000 ways, and I'm always kind of like, why do you think that? Do you think no one has a dream life? No 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.000 one's allowed to have a dream life, or is it just you? I'm not.. I don't know. I've noticed that with friends, 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:21.000 where they're like, I just can't have that, and it's like, well, what do you mean, though? Yeah, because I 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:22.000 mean, I feel that too, in some ways, like I'm like, oh well, I have little kids, so I don't have any time to 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:23.000 myself or whatever, and it's like, okay, yeah, but like, what could you have in the season, and like, 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:24.000 obviously having kids was a part of my dream life, so like, you know, how can we incorporate, how can 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:25.000 we make this work for now, and it's going to change, because maybe that's part of it, is you need to 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:26.000 understand, like, it's a moving target, like, your dream life when you were 21 is probably not the dream 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:27.000 life you want when you're 41 and it's probably going to change when you're 61 and like it's a moving 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:28.000 target. Yeah, so you kind of need to refresh it and be thinking about it in that way, and embrace it, 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.000 embrace that it kind of rolls in different directions at times, and it ebbs and flows, you know. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:30.000 Elsie 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:31.000 Yeah, I think that a lot of us have blocks, I know I have, like, what you're describing, with, like, I have 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:32.000 little kids, so I have that. I have a block. There are, like, several things. Like, I remember at the 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:33.000 beginning of this year, I said I'm going to get my nails done every two weeks, and I have only done it 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:34.000 one time this whole year, because I have a block, but it's like, realistically, do I have the time, money, 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:35.000 and capacity to make that happen if I want to? Yes, I do. It's just a mental block. Okay, so let's talk 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:36.000 about the declutter phase, because the first thing that we have to do is cut some other things out to 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:37.000 make space for the things we want. So, let's talk about screen time, because I know you have excellent 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:38.000 screen time, but for the majority of us, we have too much screen time, right? And whether you know, I 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:39.000 just think most people in life do, whether it is on your phone throughout the day, or it's like my whole 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:40.000 night, every night is taken up with watching TV, or yeah, or just I remember from a lot of our blogging 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:41.000 years, I had this habit. I don't really have this anymore. I think kids cured me, but I used to spend just 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:42.000 like a lot of time on my computer, kind of wasting time. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:43.000 Emma 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:44.000 Like procrastinating, kind of. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:45.000 Elsie 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:46.000 Yeah, because I was like, I needed to be on my computer, and like being on my computer was sort of 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:47.000 like the first step, but then I would just like click around, you know, and you just kind of get, and you're 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:48.000 just kind of like, oh, well, I need to check this, or I need to look at this, or what about this store, and like 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:49.000 you're like starting to just like online shop, or check Pinterest, or check your email, even checking your 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:50.000 emails when you're on a different task can be waste, a waste of time, or a distraction. Yeah, so I think 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:51.000 first of all, like decluttering your time, like figuring out, like Emma always says to do this, like audit 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:52.000 where you like write, which I feel like is hard to do. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:53.000 Emma 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:54.000 It's very hard to do. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:55.000 Elsie 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:56.000 But yeah, if you can figure out where in your day you are wasting time that you could get back, that's an 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.000 opportunity. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:00:58.000 Emma 00:00:58.000 --> 00:00:59.000 Well, and also just like if you're able to, what else he's talking about is kind of like a food journal. It's 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:00.000 where you write down how you spend all your waking time, and you would write down your sleep tube. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:01.000 It's just like one big block, hopefully. And it's, it's tedious, that's why it's hard to do. It's tedious, and 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:02.000 sometimes an hour can go by, and you're like, what did I just do? Or, oh, I was supposed to be doing 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:03.000 something else, but I actually did this. Should I write that down now? I feel like I don't want you know, 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:04.000 similar to a food journal, if you've ever done that before, like your doctor will do it. Yeah, you can feel a 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.000 little like, yeah, you're like, feel a little. Shamed, I guess, but I think that if you just think of it as like data 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:06.000 collection, I'm just observing something to collect the data, I don't need to make any judgments yet. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.000 Then I think you can better do it, but I think if you're like, you know what, that's too tedious for me, I 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:08.000 can't do it, it's like, okay, most phones track your screen time, so look at that, and then try to think about 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:09.000 how much TV you watch, because your TV doesn't really track that for you, that I know of. Maybe your 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:10.000 TV does, I don't know what kind of TV you have. So just do those two things, and I think that that can 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:11.000 help you as far as decluttering your screen time. And what we're looking for here is like, when it comes 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:12.000 to decluttering, let's use a different example, because I think there's can be less shame around it. When 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:13.000 I go into my closet and clean out my closet, I'm not going in there. The goal is not to be like, look at this 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:14.000 stuff I bought and didn't use. I'm such a bad person, I'm such a wasteful person. Oh, I'm so entitled. I 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.000 think I deserve new clothes. All that, you know, that's not the goal. The goal is to say, what is my using, 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:16.000 what am I not using, and it's to kind of help you design a closet that you're going to use all the time, and 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:17.000 to send that other stuff to a thrift store, or donate it, or save it for your friend's clothing exchange, 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:18.000 whatever. Shame is not something that's going to help you have a dream life, so you don't need to 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.000 bother with it. It's not really useful at all, so don't do it to yourself, and definitely don't do it to others. Just 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:20.000 collect data, so that same thing with screens. You don't need to go into it being like, I'm on my phone all 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:21.000 the time, and I'm a bad person. Listen, there's things to do on your phone that are awesome, and there 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:22.000 are things to do on your phone that are probably not helping you live a dream life. That is it. You don't 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:23.000 need to make it a judgment about you as a person, we're just trying to audit, we're just trying to collect 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:24.000 the data. I'm being on a tangent here. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:25.000 Elsie 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:26.000 No, I think it's great. So, okay, let's share a little personal experience. So, decluttering, okay? So, I just 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.000 got the brick. Do you know about the.. I don't know, it's this little device, and I just.. I read about it in my 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:28.000 newsletter Sunday, and a lot of people responded, so I'm going to share the wisdom, the collective 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:29.000 wisdom. So, the brick is this little physical device where you can kind of quote unquote brick your apps 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:30.000 that you don't want to be on for parts of the day, so you can set like a schedule, and I kind of want to 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:31.000 have like my social media, because I'm one of my goals right now is to be on social media regularly, like 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:32.000 consistently every single day, almost. So I do want to be on it, and, like, my method in the past for 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.000 moderating was constantly deleting them. I don't want to do that right now. So I'm going to have it 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:34.000 where the morning time is brick, so you can use your phone, but you can't get on the apps, and then 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:35.000 the middle of the day is open, and I can use the social media, and then I even think I might brick my 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:36.000 email because of querying, like we don't have to get into it, but it's like it's not a good space for me right 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:37.000 now at all times, and especially when I'm like hanging out with my family and stuff, like you can get 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:38.000 rejections at the most terrible times. I've learned, so anyway, right before you pick up your kids, right? 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:39.000 Or yeah, just at times when it's just not appropriate to like go into that mode, and so it's actually really 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:40.000 annoying. So I might even break my email, but anyway, that is a separate thing, you can customize it, 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:41.000 but what the main wisdom that people are saying is that if you keep it like in your house, like on your 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:42.000 fridge, I haven't set mine up yet, I don't, but I think you like tap your phone or something, it like makes 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.000 them come on and off, like you put your phone in proximity with the little device, and it can, so you can 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:44.000 turn your apps back on, so they said to put the device like either in your garage, in your scary 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:45.000 basement, somewhere where it's like unpleasant and kind of inconvenient for you to go to, and then 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:46.000 you will only do it if you really need to. So I'm definitely going to take that advice. They said don't put it 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:47.000 like in your living space or your kitchen, or like somewhere that's easy to get to, because it's just too 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:48.000 easy to like be constantly turning it on and off. So, anyway, declutter, maybe you're not on social media, 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:49.000 but whatever it is that is like taking up too much space in your day. If you want to cut back, find a plan, 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:50.000 do it. So, the next one is brainstorming and like trying out dream routines, so I think that like my thing 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.000 with like I want to get my nails done, if I want to do that I should just do it for like I should be like I'm 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:52.000 going to go four appointments in a row, I'm going to go every two weeks for you know four times and 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.000 then I'll decide, like I think smaller tests help us to be able to try things, you know what I mean, in a 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:54.000 more productive way than to be like my new thing is I never do this, I always do that, you know what I 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:55.000 mean, it's too extreme. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:56.000 Emma 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:57.000 When it's like a New Year's resolution, it's can be hard to stick to it, when it's like I'm gonna try this for a 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:58.000 month, it's like okay. Cool, and you don't feel as much pressure of it becoming your identity, or like this 00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:59.000 will never end. It's like you don't really need to think about that, you're just trying it for a month, yeah, or 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:00.000 whatever it is, you know, four appointments, because you probably do nails. Four appointments would 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.000 probably be more like two or three months, I would think. I don't know, two months, I don't know, 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:02.000 Elsie 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:03.000 Yeah, I have been personally in kind of like a more like vulnerable little bit like down bad season in my 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:04.000 life, so I have been doing this a lot in my journal, but just like open a fresh journal page and write all the 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:05.000 things you can think of that make you happy, and then later on you can figure out which ones should I 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:06.000 have every week, which ones can I have every day, which ones you know, every season, and like that, 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:07.000 you know, there's different levels for, you know, different activities, like some things you don't need to 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:08.000 have every day, like you just need to be able to look forward to it, you know, once in a while, but yeah, 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:09.000 like just putting more, like packing your life with more of the things that bring you joy and pleasure, and 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:10.000 it's kind of like from our last episode, especially like those little things that aren't necessarily like costing 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:11.000 you money, but they're just things that like, like kind of like buying like your favorite kind of like cereal or 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:12.000 something like that, you know, where you just like, you just realize, like, why don't I just do this all the 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.000 time? Like, why don't I always take a bubble bath, if with what I love is a bubble bath, you know, things 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:14.000 like that. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:15.000 Emma 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:16.000 Yeah, I think, too. So, something I'm thinking about with the like experimenting and brainstorming 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.000 phase, after you've decluttered, you've cleaned your plate, so now you're like ready to add stuff in, 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:18.000 basically, is so I think I've mentioned this, but I can't remember. So, in about a month, I think, or three 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.000 weeks, I don't know, my younger son is going to go back to daycare, and he's been out for a year now, 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:20.000 because we just needed to blah blah blah. I talked about it, you missed it, or you didn't, I don't know, 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:21.000 he's been home for a year. So I started to think about, oh, okay, so I'm gonna like have time to work 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:22.000 again, exciting, and so I started to like kind of make all these plans, and then I sort of immediately 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:23.000 started to feel really anxious about it, where I was like, How am I going to fit everything into the this day 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:24.000 that I didn't have at all before, and now all of a sudden I have too much to put into it, because I have all 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.000 these things I want to do, and so as I was looking at this big list that is exciting and is all things that I 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:26.000 want to work on, and just do, like, it's you know, I even try to get a workout in, because I have a hard 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.000 time fitting that in with my schedule. Otherwise, I just kind of need my kids out of my space in order to 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:28.000 do that. So, anyway, so I looked at it, and I was like, maybe just pick three and try that for a month and 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:29.000 see what you think, instead of being like, here's 50 goals that I haven't got to work on in a year, 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:30.000 because, and I'm so excited about them, but it's like, you're not gonna make it, that you're not, it's not 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:31.000 like you're not gonna have children at all, you're just having, you know. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:32.000 Elsie 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:33.000 You're just gonna feel like overwhelmed and behind all day. 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:34.000 Emma 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:35.000 Just pick three, try that for a month and see what you think, and if you get to the end of the month and 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:36.000 you're like, I can add another thing. Great, if you get to the end of the month and you're like, this one, I 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:37.000 don't really think I even want that one that much. I tried it for the whole month and I think I'm gonna add 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.000 this other thing instead. I'm gonna swap it out. Great, I'll try that for a month, like that's more like how I 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:39.000 kind of got over the, like, where I was immediately like, I'm gonna fail, and then I've put him in there for 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.000 no reason, you know? Like, I just started to be like that way, and I was like, you need to just calm down 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:41.000 a little bit. How we could do this was like, just pick three, try it for a month, that's it. Yeah. No, because I 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:42.000 think part of what I guess what I want to say is, like, if I was going to sum it up, I would be like, a dream 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:43.000 life is not a fantasy life, it's a good life, but it doesn't mean you're gonna have everything, it doesn't 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:44.000 mean things are gonna be perfect all the time, because that's fake, you know. This is, though, a good 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:45.000 life, a dream life. So, it's like, what is needed, what is the most important things? Try it out, adjust it, you 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:46.000 know, but don't worry about like I got to fit everything in, or I'm going to do this forever. It's like, well, 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:47.000 maybe just try it for a little bit, though, and see, and tweak it. 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:48.000 Elsie 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:49.000 Yeah. No, I think the, the experimenting part of it is really important, kind of like I love Emma's Chanel 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:50.000 story. I feel like you told the Chanel story once, but it's like she, it was when we were trying to like learn 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:51.000 how to celebrate. We had this like big, I think it was when we got one of our apps to 10 million installs. It 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:52.000 was like a big achievement, a big professional achievement. And I was like, I'm gonna buy my first 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:53.000 designer bag, and Emma was like, I am too. And we bought these like used designer bags. I loved it. I 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:54.000 still have mine, but Emma got hers in the mail, and she held it in her hands, and she was like, it doesn't 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:55.000 feel how I thought it would feel, and she'd put it back in the mailer and sent it back. And I think that's 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:56.000 great too, that sometimes in life you try something that you think you're gonna love, and then it's just 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.000 not for you, and that's fine. Right, yeah, so that's part of this whole thing, is like when you see other 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:58.000 people, like when you see people on social media, or whatever, do it, like living some kind of life that 00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:59.000 looks so good to you, try it, like try it, like if you can, if you have a way to like people who make matcha 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:00.000 every day, and it looks so gorgeous, it's like it actually, like I've tried it, like it, it didn't do for me what it 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:01.000 does for them, but I think that it was worth the try. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:02.000 Emma 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.000 In a previous episode we were talking about our favorite vacations, favorite trips, and I talked about 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:04.000 how my husband and I went to a very fancy resort for our fifth wedding anniversary, I had like the 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.000 overwater bungalow, where it has like a glass floor, and you can see the ocean, and it was our most 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:06.000 expensive trip we've ever been on. And I didn't like it. I don't, he didn't either. Like, we just, we were like, 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.000 "Oh, we're not fancy resort people. I don't care about this at all. I love staying like at a little weird hotel, 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:08.000 or a boutique, or an Airbnb, and like, hike, like, hiking around, like, it's not that we're against spending 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:09.000 money, it was like, this is not how we want to spend our money, and so we'll probably never stay at a 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:10.000 fancy resort again, because we were like, oh, okay, and someone else might love that, and that's like 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:11.000 what they want to do, and that's what they do on their trips, and it's like, that's great, you just kind of 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:12.000 have to try things, and then be like, I love it, I hate it, whatever, you know, like, it's just, you don't know 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:13.000 till you do it, so. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:14.000 Elsie 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.000 I, unfortunately, think that nice hotels are worth every penny, every penny, but that's different from 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:16.000 resort, though. Okay, so yeah, experiment until it's perfect. So we've talked to clutter, setting it up, 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.000 experimenting is perfect. So, now let's talk about making small tweaks each season. So, yeah, as we 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:18.000 go through life, our careers change, our families change, our capacity. As we get older, we get more 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:19.000 free time, that is, like it opens up to you. So, if you're in the, I always talk specifically to the people who 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:20.000 have toddlers. If you're in the toddler phase, you have probably the least amount of free time and like 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.000 just autonomy that you're going to have in your entire life, but it only lasts a few years, and then it's just 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:22.000 over forever. So, I think knowing what season of life you're in and what the pros and cons are of that 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:23.000 season, and trying to, like, make it the best life you can for that season, though. You know, tailored to it 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:24.000 is really smart. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:25.000 Emma 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:26.000 I think so too. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:27.000 Elsie 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:28.000 So, I remember one time I asked my therapist, was like, is it true that it, it gives you more, like, I don't 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.000 know what the word is, like cognitive longevity, to always be learning something new, and she said yes. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:30.000 So that's one of my goals in life, is to always be learning something new, like Emma's Shark book that 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:31.000 she talked about in the last episode, just like things like that, you know. We're watching a documentary 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:32.000 every month, we're reading, you know, what we're reading all the time, we're reading all the time for 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:33.000 forever, because that's a good way to live. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:34.000 Emma 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.000 Reading's fun. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:36.000 Elsie 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:37.000 But yeah, like I feel like learning, and then learning to do things, like every once in a while, like I don't 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:38.000 want a new craft every month anymore in my life, but like every once in a while I do want to like learn a 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:39.000 new skill and try something, like this year I learned to do water marbling, and it was, I think, it's like 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:40.000 easy, but then to get like really good at it is hard. I think it's one of those things where it's like, yeah, it's 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:41.000 satisfying to get started, and then to get to the next level is a big, bigger curve than it looks like, but it's 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.000 very easy to get started, and it's very satisfying, and very fun. My kids enjoyed it, so yeah, I would 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.000 encourage that. Like that, you're always having one or two new things, and also visiting new places, 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.000 even if it's a local restaurant, or even if it's like something right outside of your town that you drive 30 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:45.000 minutes to an hour to do. Those things are really good for your brain and your memories. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:46.000 Emma 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.000 Yeah, and one thing that I tell my kids, but I think it's true for adults as well, is it can be a good idea to 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:48.000 try something that you previously didn't like again. Ooh, like, you know, I say this to my kids because I 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:49.000 have some picky eaters, and you know, I'm like, you know, something you didn't like a year ago, you 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:50.000 might like it now. It's good to try it again, and it's as true as adults as well. There may be something that 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:51.000 you tried in your 20s, and now it's kind of cool in your 40s. And, like, I don't know, sometimes I think 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:52.000 we've, like, labeled certain activities or hobbies or pastimes by, like, ages, and that almost turns people 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:53.000 off. They're like, "I don't want to do pickleball, because that's for old people or something, like they have 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:54.000 some kind of hang up in their mind about it, and I'm like, why don't you just give something a try, or like, 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.000 you know, maybe you didn't like it before, but you do now, and it doesn't have to mean anything other 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:56.000 than you tried it again, and you like it now, it's just no big deal, because you know life's meant to be 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:57.000 enjoyed, so and then. Is sort of a weird aside, but I think, like, when it comes to designing a daily life, 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:58.000 like your habits that kind of help you be healthy and help you feel grounded and help you feel good, I 00:03:58.000 --> 00:03:59.000 think it can be beneficial as a woman to remember your cycle. Oh yeah, unless you're out of that 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:00.000 season of life, but I just think, you know, I don't know. I feel like we didn't talk about this a lot when I was 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:01.000 growing up in, like, my teens and 20s, and now we're talking about it more, or at least I see it a little bit 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:02.000 more, and I really like that, because I, it does change the way you feel in your body, does change if 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:03.000 you're a woman throughout the month, and like, how much sleep you need, how much whatever, and 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:04.000 like, even the workouts that I enjoy most of the month, there's a couple of days that I really don't feel 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.000 like doing that, and I can really like get down on myself for that, but I'm like, why don't I think about it 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:06.000 more like it's this week, it's the little phase, it's the, you know, whatever, but like, just be cool with 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:07.000 yourself, your body is precious, it's great, and for if you're a woman, it goes through a cycle every 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:08.000 month, and it's, it's wild, but like work with that, and like go ahead and plan, like maybe like every day 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:09.000 isn't exactly the same, maybe it's a little more based on your cycle, and you know, if you live in a place 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:10.000 that's all four seasons, too, I think you have to think about that a little bit, like it's like work with the 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:11.000 environment, work with your body, work with what you have. You don't need to design, don't try to 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:12.000 design a dream life for, you know, a different body or a different environment. Like, oh, I'm gonna, I'm 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:13.000 playing all these outdoor activities in the middle of January, and I live in the Midwest. It's like, okay, I 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:14.000 don't think that's gonna work. Like, be realistic, and actually, if you try to be realistic, I think you can find 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:15.000 a lot of beauty in that. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:16.000 Elsie 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:17.000 Yeah. 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:18.000 Emma 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:19.000 I think that life actually has really gorgeous rhythms, and you know, different times to it, and it can be 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.000 quite lovely if you let that in, as opposed to try to fight against it, which maybe no one else is doing that, 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:21.000 but I think I spent a good chunk of my life kind of like fighting against certain things, like I was like, I 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:22.000 gotta be a certain way all the time, and it's like, why don't you just go with what's happening with your 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.000 body, or what's happening with the environment, or what's, you know, and just cool it a little bit, like 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:24.000 maybe you'll find some beauty or some things that you love from that experience. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.000 Elsie 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:26.000 No, I think that's great advice. Okay, we have a listener question from Catherine. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.000 Emma 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:28.000 Catherine says, "Would love to know your opinion on the following: to fill or not to fill the space above 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:29.000 the kitchen cabinets, and if you say 'fill, what kind of decor do you suggest? So, Catherine's talking 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.000 about when your kitchen cabinets don't reach up to your ceiling, and you have that kind of space above 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:31.000 it. Sometimes it's like kind of a big space, sometimes it can be awkwardly small. I don't know what 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Catherine has exactly, but that's what we're talking about. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:33.000 Elsie 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:34.000 Yes. Okay, I'm gonna say my opinion, and then you can say yours. I think don't fill the reason why is 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.000 because I have had that before. I had some kitchens, very small, and I felt like it was like an opportunity 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:36.000 for storage. It ended up that everything up there was just collecting dust. So this is the one time when I 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:37.000 feel like the dust thing is like super valid, because kitchens are just a little more gross. You know what I 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.000 mean? Yeah, so yeah, I personally, unless you're like going for that like 90s butter mom olive garden 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:39.000 kind of look, and then maybe you just like it, and you put the wine bottles up there for the esthetic of it, 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.000 but yeah, if you put baskets up there, whatever, they will get gross, and I think I personally would rather 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.000 it just be clear. What about you? 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:42.000 Emma 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.000 Yeah, I think if you're feeling self-conscious that clear is is wrong or like not a thing, it is. It is totally fine 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:44.000 to leave it empty. I think I've seen it that way. I've seen it in like really high-end homes. I've seen it in 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.000 more like comfy type homes. I think it can be a choice that's perfectly fine. I think if you do fill it, yes, 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:46.000 you need to be mindful that that is one problem, unless you're really tall, probably not very accessible to 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.000 you. So, don't put things up there that are like a daily need, because that doesn't make sense. You're 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:48.000 gonna have to have a stool all the time. Maybe you have some kind of rolling ladder in your kitchen, 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:49.000 though. Then great, you're good, but you know otherwise. So that, and then also it will kind of collect 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:50.000 dust normally. So, as bloggers, a lot of times over the years, people would be like, I can't believe you 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:51.000 did xyz in your house, it'll collect dust. And most of the time I was always confused by this comment, 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:52.000 because I was like, dust is not a big problem. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:53.000 Elsie 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:54.000 Dust is not as big of a problem as people make it out to be. I think, for like bookshelves, it's worth it, and 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.000 there's lots of things where it's worth it, but for something that you're not really using, where it's strictly 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:56.000 just for looks. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:57.000 Emma 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.000 And in a kitchen, and in a hive space, I don't know what it is, but those areas do seem to get more 00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:59.000 dusty. Or just kind of grimy, almost is a way to like almost like kitchen grease. I don't know, I cook a lot 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:00.000 of like high heat stuff. Anyway, so if you do put something up there, keep that in mind. I would even put 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:01.000 like baskets that I don't put anything in, if I just like esthetically want something, the space is bothering 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:02.000 me. I would put baskets that I think are pretty, and I wouldn't even necessarily put anything in them, 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:03.000 because I just want the look. I think that's totally fine too. You can do things, but you know, also, if you 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:04.000 do need the storage, then yeah, it's a good place to add some storage. But definitely put things that 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.000 you're not going to access all the time, or things that you like have duplicates of, like if you like. I keep a 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:06.000 whole bunch of candlesticks, because I only replace my candlesticks every few months, but I like to 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.000 have them. Maybe that's a place to put them, I don't know, like, but I think either way is really, really 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:08.000 fine. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.000 Elsie 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:10.000 Yep, I agree. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.000 Emma 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:12.000 If you're designing a kitchen, just make your cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, that way you don't 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.000 have to clean it or worry about it. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:14.000 Elsie 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.000 I love it. I have cabinets all the way to the ceiling now, and the top cabinets are very hard to access, 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:16.000 and I'm not going to put anything up there that I need, but it's just, it's nice to have that extra storage for 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.000 like party things. Yeah, and like we do have some hosting stuff, I think it's a good place for stuff, like 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:18.000 that. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:19.000 Emma 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:20.000 yeah, it's where, like, my, like, we have a bunch of extra wine glasses, because now and again we have 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.000 a wine pairing party with family, but it happens like once every two years, so I have a whole bunch of 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:22.000 those way up high that I can't really reach, but I only get them down once every two years, so yeah, it's 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:23.000 not really a big deal. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:24.000 Elsie 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.000 It's really nice for stuff like that. Yeah, okay. Book report time. Do you have a book report? 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:26.000 Emma 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.000 My book this week is The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor. Okay, so The Mountain in the Sea is a 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:28.000 science fiction, I guess, thriller. It's more heavy on the science fiction than it is the thriller, though. If 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:29.000 you've seen the cover of the book, well, there's a couple covers, but it has this giant octopus on it, and 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:30.000 it's like a giant pink-looking octopus, and the background is this green, you get the sense that it's like a 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.000 lush kind of tropical, maybe environment. So the book is kind of centered around scientists and different 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.000 people around the scientist who are studying this group of octopus octopi who have evolved enough 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.000 that they have language and culture, so there's also a character who is a very advanced android, an AI 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:34.000 android who has achieved consciousness, or you know, the book is a little bit about have they haven't 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:35.000 they, but that's where the idea is. It's a very advanced life form, very advanced android. I like to think of 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:36.000 Miss Data, so. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.000 Elsie 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:38.000 From Star Trek. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:39.000 Emma 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:40.000 From Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yeah, so one of my favorite science fiction movies is Arrival. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:41.000 Have you ever seen it? 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Elsie 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.000 Oh, hell yeah. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.000 Emma 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:45.000 And that alien, not to spoil, but very much resembles an octopus, and the movie is about aliens, but it's 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:46.000 very much about language, and that is what I would say about this book, The Mountain and the Sea, is 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.000 yes, it's about octopus, octopi, it's science fiction, but it's very much about language, and one thing 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:48.000 that's really fun is there's like two books within a book, so throughout the chapters two different 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.000 scientists have like their book that they've written, their textbook kind of thing, they have little excerpts 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:50.000 in between each chapter, and it kind of, you know, says something about what we're, you're about to 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:51.000 read in the next chapter, but those were really lovely too, and it was really fun. It made, really made me 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:52.000 think about language, think about the role that it plays in culture, and the role that it plays in, like, 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:53.000 development of technology. You know, once you have written language, then, like, generations can 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:54.000 pass down wisdom in a way that they really can't. We only have oral tradition, and you know, just 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:55.000 different things. And then, of course, it's set in an area that has beautiful ocean setting, and you know 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:56.000 they're going down now and again to visit the octopus, and yeah, it was really fun. And then there's sort 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.000 of this subplot that's about this young man who has been stolen, trafficted, and he's now a slave on a 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:58.000 slave ship, and the ship is like run by an AI, no person, like an algorithm that, kind of traps them, and 00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:59.000 you watch their journey of trying to mutiny, and are they going to be able to get off the slave ship, and 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:00.000 you know, and it's it sort of tied in with, with where the octopus live, and anyway, it was very fun, I 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:01.000 actually feel like the subplot was one of those times that it was like I was almost like more interested in 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:02.000 that, and I think that's a pretty good thing that an author can do, because you're like seeing that less 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.000 when it's a subplot. I had never read this author before, either, and I really loved it. I know he has other 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.000 science fiction books, I'm very interested to check those out, but it was much more literary and lovely 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.000 than I was expecting. I was expecting a little more. A Michael Crichton, you know, big science fiction 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.000 thriller, and it was a little more literary lovely than that, little more about language, and yeah, it was 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:07.000 really, really fun. If you like the movie Arrival and you think octopus are cool, which you should, I 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:08.000 recommend this book. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:09.000 Elsie 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:10.000 I love it. I like how you're in a sea phase, yeah, everything is about the ocean. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.000 Emma 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:12.000 Yeah, very much. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.000 Elsie 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:14.000 Fun. I love it. Okay, my book this week was The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis, and it is a historical fiction 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.000 story that also has, like, a present day timeline, and it goes back and forth, and it's a little bit of a 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:16.000 mystery. It was my first Fiona Davis book, and I was excited to try it. It was fun. So, the things I liked 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.000 about it are, I do, I love New York in any kind of time period, like any kind of historical fiction that's set in 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:18.000 New York, I always love, and this is about the hotel that Sylvia Plath lived in for a little while, so it's like 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.000 the women who lived in that hotel, kind of what happened to them, and there's a, there's kind of a 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:20.000 thriller element of it, there's like a big twist, and then it's showing the hotel in the present day, where it's 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.000 become like a fancy, like you know, rentals for rich people, but there's still one floor, I think, the fourth 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:22.000 floor, where the women who used to live in it when it was the quote unquote dollhouse still live, so it's 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.000 like, oh, so it's like kind of like fun, because it's like the figuring out like the mystery of the elderly 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:24.000 women who live in the building. So it was fun. I loved it, and I will definitely read more of her books in 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.000 the future. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:26.000 Emma 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.000 Fun. Okay, now we have hot take from Megan. Megan says, now for my hot take, calling certain 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:28.000 hobbies grandma hobbies is a way to diminish the skills of crafting. For most of human history, mostly 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.000 women have been engaged in crafts, making clothes, adornments, etc. These days, it looks like 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:30.000 knitting, quilting, whatever. These are skills, and not just something that grandmas do. Calling them 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:31.000 grandma hobbies is a way to place less importance on these skilled arts and demeans women's work. I 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:32.000 will die on this hill. Love it, Megan. It's good to have a hill to die on actually. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.000 Elsie 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:34.000 We all need a hill to die on. Okay, so I think I'm not sure if I agree or disagree with this. I'm gonna say 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.000 my perspective. You told me if it's agree or disagree. So, when I was younger, this is like one of my, one 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:36.000 of my like early formative experiences with feminism, where I was like still trying to like figure it out. So, 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:37.000 it was when I had first started the Beautiful Mess blog, and I was sharing my very, very first DIYs, and 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:38.000 someone in my life was like, you should be called an artist, not a crafter, because craft, like calling it, 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.000 calling you a crafter, is kind of demeaning, it's kind of sexist, it's like, but what you're doing is really art, 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:40.000 and I was like, no, actually, like, I think what I'm doing is really crafts, and I don't think it's, and I actually 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:41.000 don't think it's bad to call crafts crafts, you know, so I don't know, so I think of it both ways, like I think 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:42.000 maybe they can be grandma hobbies, but obviously I agree they are skills, they're important, they're 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:43.000 puffs down, there's like a heritage element to it, there are levels to the skills of, you know, needlepoint 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.000 or quilting, definitely sewing. There are many different levels you can ascend to, and yeah, I don't, I 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.000 don't think anyone denies that, but I also, I don't know, I personally don't have a problem with calling my 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:46.000 hobbies grandma hobbies either, because I like grandmas, and I like hobbies, I like crafts, and I don't 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:47.000 think those words are inherently derogatory. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:48.000 Emma 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.000 Yeah, I think I'd have to hear the tone with which someone calls it a grandma hobby before I would 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:50.000 know if I feel they're trying to diminish or not, because to me I'm like part of the problem is if you think 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.000 just saying grandma hobbies is diminishing, that I'm like, I think our culture maybe needs to refresh its 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:52.000 ideas on what grandmas are. Yeah, because grandmas, grandmas are cool. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.000 Elsie 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:54.000 So cool. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.000 Emma 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:56.000 Yeah, so like, maybe that's maybe we need to start there a little bit, but if you're just kind of saying this 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.000 is a skill that takes a lot of time, that takes a lot of skill that might take a bit of like solitude and wisdom 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:58.000 to like have the time to do it, so I'm calling it a grandma hobby because it means you need to be sort of 00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:59.000 seasoned at it, that I'm like, well, I don't really view that as a problem at all, I kind of think it's a pretty 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:00.000 apt name, actually, so. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.000 Elsie 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:02.000 The sort of things that Martha Stewart teaches, I think you could call them grandma hobbies, but also 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.000 you can acknowledge that a lot of them are are really advanced skills. I mean, gardening, I'm not even 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:04.000 on level one of that journey. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.000 Emma 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.000 No, I'm just reading Elise's newsletter, like, oh wow, those flowers are pretty.. like, just learning, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.000 learning. Yeah, that's our friend Elise Cripe, who has a really cool newsletter, and she often talks about 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.000 her garden, which is amazing. Yeah, yeah, and I don't know, I go both ways, because I think, too, like 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.000 when someone calls something a craft versus art, I don't view that as, oh, the craft is lesser, I just view 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:10.000 that as crafts to me it generally means like there is some utility to it, like a quilt is beautiful and artistic, 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.000 or it can be, but it's also functional. You can use it to put on your bed, so I kind of view it as just a 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:12.000 definition thing, not really a diminishing thing. But I also don't necessarily put crafts far below art in my 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.000 mind, and maybe some people do, so I don't know. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:14.000 Elsie 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:15.000 I think there's a difference, because so I'm selling my paintings right now in a gallery, and I can make a 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:16.000 painting that takes five hours, 10 hours to make the painting, sell it for a certain price, and then I can 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:17.000 make a craft that takes five hours, 10 hours, and I could never sell it for that same price, it's impossible, 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:18.000 and I think that's like that. I think that's okay, like that doesn't bother me. I think it's just true, and I think 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.000 that, like, part of the word, like, for me at least, the term craft means that it's something that I'm doing 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:20.000 for pleasure, like as a hobby. I'm doing, like, I'm making this thing, it's not for anyone else. I'm not trying 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:21.000 to make money from it. I'm not trying to, you know, get my.. like, it doesn't matter to me how much, how 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:22.000 many hours I spend, or what the efficiency is, because it's not about efficiency, it's about pleasure, you 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.000 know. I don't know. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:24.000 Emma 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.000 I think the efficiency and pleasure is an interesting way to look at it, for sure. Yeah, and I also think 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:26.000 there's certainly museums dedicated to fine art, but there's also museums dedicated to crafts, like 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:27.000 there's true quilting museums and such, and maybe we don't place as much importance on them in our 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:28.000 culture. I think there'd be a strong argument for that, but you know, I just think you kind of are picking 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.000 what you want to spend your time on, and if you love quilting, I think that's cool. Yeah, I do too. Yeah, I 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:30.000 think I just kind of am like, I like the word grandma. I'd love to be a grandma one day. Also, no pressure 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.000 to my children, they should make their own choices in life, but I would love it. Seems like a great phase 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.000 of life. Oh, yeah, it seems awesome. So I'm like, what are we putting grandmas down for? I'm like, 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.000 grandma hobby elevates it to me. Okay, you told me it was a 20 year old's hobby. I'd be like, oh well, 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:34.000 now it's something stupid, isn't it? I don't want to do it. Oh my gosh, okay. She didn't mean that. Let's 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.000 just move on. No one in their 20s listens to this. That's almost true. But I've seen a couple messages. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:36.000 I'm being silly, okay. No, that's fun. Send us more hot takes any time. Podcast at a beautiful mess.com I 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:37.000 love to hear them, whether we agree or disagree with them. We love them all, because it's just fun to 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:38.000 like. Oh, yeah, I kind of agree with this one. We're just also kind of like, oh, there's a lot more here, you 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.000 know? 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.000 Elsie 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.000 Yeah. 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:42.000 Emma 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.000 And now it's time for a joke or a fact with Nova. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:44.000 Elsie 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.000 Hey, Nova, what are you going to share with us this week? 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:46.000 Nova 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:47.000 A meditation, although it's not just an ordinary meditation like I do all the time. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:48.000 Elsie 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:49.000 Okay. 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:50.000 Nova 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.000 Besides the grandma one I did last week. This one is another one that means to me, and it's a pug 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:52.000 meditation based on my two little white puppy pugs named Pearl and Popcorn, and so I'm gonna be 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.000 doing a pug meditation. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:54.000 Elsie 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.000 Okay, I think that everyone is excited in their homes, in their headphones, in their cars, and whatever 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:56.000 they're doing right now to meditate on some pugs. I'm closing my eyes. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.000 Nova 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:58.000 All right, take some deep breaths,and then you come through the door after you've gotten some 00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.000 groceries. You notice your dogs are getting all over you with warm kisses and hugs, and then you start 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:00.000 snuggling them and scratching them behind the ear on the couch. Your pups are so happy, you play 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.000 with them outside with frisbees for a while they catch it so many times and you're so happy playing with 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:02.000 them and then when they come inside you feed them a good meal while eating your own meal it was 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:03.000 soup and then when you. You go to get them some treats, they follow you eagerly. Get the treats out, 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:04.000 and you see their tail wagging so hard and fast, and they looked really happy. You play with them a little 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.000 more, and then when it's bedtime, you get into bed, the pug and the pugs follow you. The pugs get into 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.000 bed, snuggle, curl up right beside you in little balls, and then you fall asleep with pugs right beside you, 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:07.000 sleeping right beside you, and then when you wake up in the morning, you stroke the pucks for a while, 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.000 get up, and they get up with you, and you play some more, take a few deep breaths, and open your 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:09.000 eyes, and then now I would like to say that I adore pugs and any kind of dog, and I feel like that pets 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:10.000 help people so much more than people understand sometimes. Yeah, and it's good to have pets. It is 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:11.000 good. Oh, another thing, if any, any of you have never seen a pug, just look up Pug, and you can see 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:12.000 really cute pictures of them. They have like squashed faces, and like kind of gray around like their 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.000 mouth and their nose, yeah, their nose kind of sticks up into like smushes, and then they have floppy 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:14.000 ears, oh, and then curly tails, and they're chubby, usually, although mine are not chubby, yeah, I hope 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.000 you have a good week. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:16.000 Elsie 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.000 Thank you, Nova. All right, we will be back next week with a chatty listener questions episode. Email us 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.000 anytime at podcast@beautifulmess.com with requests for future episodes or topics, or just book 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.000 recommendations, anything you want.