Our camping livesWe discuss camping in our youth (including one memorable backpacking trip together in college), what we love about camping, what we could do without, and our favorites tips and resources. Links mentioned:Kelsey's camping packing listKitchen chuck boxAbby's family's tent, cooler, techni ice, and sleeping matsLife latelyAbby is trying a new skincare routine, inspired by Sherry of Young House Love.Sarah played the piano every day in March as part of Ali Edward's One Little Word class.Reading latelyAbby read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson and Sarah read Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.Eating latelySarah made an Instant Pot Oreo cheesecake and Abby's family is enjoying kale from their garden.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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Our camping lives

Now that we are a few months into the new year we wanted to check-in with each other to find out what has and hasn’t been working in our lives. Links we mentioned:Yoga With Adriene 30 Day ChallengeThe Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Linda Yan GlaserThe Penderwicks by Jeanne BirdsallEmmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne JonellLife latelySarah got a new bike (after leaving hers in a park last summer–whoops).Abby’s hens have started laying eggs!Reading latelySarah read The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon–an enemies to lovers romance with a podcast premise.Abby loved the latest sci-fi novel from N.K. Jemisin, The City We Became.Eating latelyAbby found an easy blueberry muffin recipe and Sarah tried the TikTok pasta.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What’s working (and what’s not)

Things we hate, media editionWe spend a portion of every show talking about what we love in the books we read, but what about what we hate? We share our dislikes in books, favorite and least favorite romance tropes, books and shows other people loved but we couldn't get into, and what we don't enjoy in movies we watch. Links mentioned:Hamnet by Maggie O'FarrellGold by Chris CleeveSuch a Fun Age by Kiley ReidThe War That Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker BradleyOne to Watch by Kate Stayman-LondonThe Power by Naomi AldermanCourt of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (and the newest book in the series Court of Silver Flames just came out in February)The Goldfinch by Donna TarttCourt of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasGilmore GirlsFleabagArrested DevelopmentLife latelyAbby ticked a box on her pandemic bingo card: rearranging her house.Sarah created new shelves on Goodreads for her family's read-alouds and Friendlier reads (including specific shelves for books recommended by her and Abby).Reading latelyAbby read the YA fantasy novel Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and Sarah read KJ Dell'Antonia's novel The Chicken Sisters.Eating latelySarah made a new kitchen purchase and Abby had a failed grain bowl experience.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Things we hate, media edition

A week of breakfasts and lunchesWe love to talk about food and share another installment of a week of meals, this time focused on our breakfasts and lunches. We were originally inspired by The Mom Hour's episode of a week of dinners, and have previously recorded our own week of dinners and a week of snacks. Links we mentioned:Coconut Baobab granolaSpicy cashew butter dressingBiscuit breakfast casseroleLife latelyNeil finished building the kids' Christmas present: a new playset!Abby is doing a deep dive into camping gear in preparation for an upcoming trip.Reading latelySarah read the crime thriller Take It Back by Kia Abdullah.Abby read Ink and Bone, the first of the Great Library series by Rachel Caine.Eating latelyWe both share cookie recipes from Sally's Baking Addiction: soft molasses cookies for Abby and caramel stuffed Nutella cookies for Sarah.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A week of breakfasts and lunches

Talking to kids about tough stuffInspired by a listener question, we discuss how we talk to our kids about tough stuff--politics, current events, race, gender, sex, cancer, and death. Inspired by a listener question, we discuss how we talk to our kids about tough stuff--politics, current events, race, gender, sex, cancer, and death. Links we mentioned + books our families love that we didn't list in the show:Conscious KidBlack Lives Matter book list with links to read-alouds of each book curated by Phoebe DefinoOwn Voices in children's literatureSomething Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard, and Jennifer ZivoinRuby Bridges Goes to School by Ruby BridgesThe Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael LopezThe Name Jar by Yangsook ChoiClubhouse Mysteries by Sharon DraperI Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer and Christopher EliopoulosNot My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia HiggenbothamThe Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj MuhammadThe Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and R. Gregory ChristieWe Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela GoadeIt Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa ThornWho Are You? A Kid’s Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pressen-WhedbeeWhat Makes a Baby by Cory SilverbergIt's Not the Stork by Robie HarrisAmazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts by Gail SaltzFrom Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children From Infancy to Middle School by Debra HaffnerGirls and Sex and Boys and Sex, both by Peggy OrnsteinArticle about parents having sex during the pandemicOur Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality EducationVisible Child Facebook groupDr. Becky at HomeSeed and SewJanet LansburyOther books:When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb and Merrilee LiddiardThe Rough Patch by Brian LiesThe Rabbit Listened by Cori DoerrfeldLife latelyAbby's family added kittens to their family!Sarah's family is hoping these are the perfect sleds (and that it snows more this year!).Reading latelyAbby read the Charm of Magpies fantasy series byKJ Charles and Sarah listened to the YA novel-in-verse Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.Eating latelySarah is becoming a Trader Joe's convert, especially their hot and sweet pickled jalapenos.Abby found a spinach dal her whole family loves.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Talking to kids about tough stuff

Entertaining ourselves and our people at homeWe've had a lot of time at home, and more to come this spring. We share how we've keeping ourselves and our families entertained, the best and worst of our time at home, and our entertainment aspirations as we look ahead. Links we mentioned:Aaron's Thinking PuttyBoggleQuixxAzulSplendorCarcassoneDrawfulCodenamesTemeraire books by Naomi NovikSchitt's CreekWandavisionBridgertonThe Penderwicks by Jeanne BirdsallThe Vanderbeekers of 141st by Karina Yan GlaserLife latelySarah and Neil are having weekly meetings to check-in with each other about parenting.Abby and her family said good-bye to their beloved cat, Zeda.Reading latelySarah read Kate Elizabeth Russell's intense novel, My Dark Vanessa.On the lighter side, Abby read Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade.Eating latelyAbby has an easy Trader Joe's dinner to share and Sarah's family is trying take-out from new-to-them local restaurants.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Entertaining ourselves and our people at home

Mood boostersWhat better time to discuss mood boosters than the middle of a pandemic + the gray days of winter? We share our favorite mood boosting activities, products, and foods. Links we mentioned:SAD lightcards: tarot, goddess, and animalPoshmarkLife latelyAbby has been listening to The Bengsens.Sarah's kids have started finger-knitting, inspired by Hyacinth from the Vanderbeeker novels.Reading latelyAbby read Weather by Jenny Offill and Sarah finished This Place: 150 Years Retold, a graphic novel anthology.Eating latelySarah made chopped a whole lot of veggies for this roasted butternut squash and parsnip soup.Abby combined these two recipes to make creamed spinach and eggs.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mood boosters

The state of our home (dis)organizationWe discuss our home organization wins, challenges, and inspiration. We may not have many tips to offer, but there's plenty of commiseration to go around. Links we mentioned:Abby's tool organizerArt cabinet Sarah hopes will solve her family's craft area problemsYoung House LoveClutterbug podcastLife latelySarah is facing down the gray days of winter.Abby is loving Bridgerton.Reading latelySarah fell hard for the young adult novel You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson.Abby read Yaa Gyasi's new novel, Transcendent Kingdom.Eating latelyAbby is eating lemon cookies to brighten up the winter days while Sarah is cozying up with corn chowder.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

State of our home (dis)organization

New year's intentions, 2021We reflect on the year that was, set intentions for 2021, and share some of our favorites from 2020. Links we mentioned:Last year's intentions episode and our mid-year check-inSchitt's CreekThe Good PlaceMerge DragonsLife latelyAbby's building a chicken coop.Sarah has abandoned one holiday tradition and remembered how much she loves another.Reading latelyAbby listened to The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue and Sarah read the Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.Eating latelySarah made an alfredo sauce that didn't break apart and Abby enjoyed Budget Bytes' Dal Nirvana.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New year's intentions, 2021

We take a look back at our reading life in 2020: our challenges, our wins, and of course, our favorite books. Highlights from the year:Fiction: The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and Nothing to See Here by Kevin WilsonNon-fiction: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Boys and Sex by Peggy Orenstein, and Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife’s Story by Onnie Lee Logan as told to Katherine ClarkMost enjoyable: Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas on audio, One to Watch by Kate London-Stayman, and Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One’s Own, both by Evie DunmoreMemoir: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, and Sitting Pretty by Rebecca TaussigAudio: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, and Sitting Pretty by Rebecca TaussigRead aloud: The Wild Robot and Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, The Vanderbeekers of 141st St by Karina Glaser, The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen CushmanLooking forward to: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston and Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia HibbertLife latelySarah shares a story of E’s glasses lost, then found.Abby is in a Christmas crafting mood.Reading latelySarah read Notes on a Silencing by Lacy Crawford, which she found through the New York Times Best Books of 2020.Abby loved escaping into the alternate reality of Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. Here’s the article that compares the book to reality.Eating latelyAbby added corn pudding to her family’s Thanksgiving, but it was not a success.Sarah is devouring spinach and artichoke dip as fast as she can make it.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our year in books, 2020

Celebrating 100 episodes + listen q&aWe reflect on the last four years of making the podcast, then answer listener questions. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions! We cover everything from how we knew our families were complete to whether we have a personal theme song. Listeners, we are so grateful to have you with us on this podcasting journey. Here's to the next hundred episodes!Graceful quittingHard timesBeauty and styleWhat a DayHome CookingPod Save AmericaJourney to MidwiferyHarry Potter and the Sacred TextHot and BotheredLet the River Run by Carly SimonLife latelyAbby gives a chick update.Sarah's family has started having weekly family meetings.Reading latelyAbby is listening to (and loving) Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Wisdom of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, while Sarah finished Unfollow: A Journey From Hatred to Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper.Eating latelySarah made Swedish meatballs for the first time and Abby made Apple Dapple Cake (recipe below).3 c. chopped apples, set aside Combine:    1 1/2 sticks melted butter 1/2 c. apple sauce4 eggs1 1/2 c. sugar  Then stir together dry ingredients: 3 c. flour (unbleached)1 tsp salt1 tsp soda1/2 tsp cinnamon Add dry to wet ingredients. Stir in apples. Bake in bundt or tube pan for 45-60 ish minutes at 350. During the last few minutes of baking, combine 1/2 c. brown sugar with 1/4 c. butter and 2 T. milk in saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook 2 minutes.As soon as cake comes out of oven, poke holes in top and then pour topping over. Let cool in pan before inverting.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our 100th episode + listener q&a

The holidays are fast approaching. We share our plans for the season, including activities, food, gifts, how we plan to stay connected to loved ones, and what we are doing to take care of ourselves. Links we mentioned:In a Holidaze by Christina LaurenWinter Street series by Elin HilderbrandDecolonizing ThanksgivingBlueland holiday soap scentsLife latelySarah continued her gamble of painting rooms without getting samples and Abby shares a Craigslist victory.Reading latelyWe both read memoirs this week: Sarah finished Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Witaker and Abby listened to Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig.Eating latelyAbby continues her quest for homemade Indian food with chana saag (substituting chickpeas for the paneer).Sarah learned to make water kefir from a neighbor.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holidays, pandemic edition

How we've changedWe each share three ways we've changed since adolescence, one way we've stayed the same, and an area we'd like to change going forward.Life latelyAbby's chicks have arrived!Sarah is dreaming about 2021 and bought a new planner (which she heard about from Sarah Hart Unger). Austin Channing Brown perfectly captured the essence of this purchase in her Instagram post last year.Reading latelyAbby listened to Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here and Sarah delighted in reading One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London.Eating latelySarah's enjoying tiny cans of soda and Abby attempted to recreate her favorite vegetable korma using this recipe.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How we've changed

Food quirksFrom melted cheese on a plate to raw sweet potatoes, we discuss what we ate as kids, what unusual preferences we still have, and any quirks of our partners and kids.Life latelyAbby has solved her backyard storage problems by finishing this cabinet and adding these feet.Sarah's had a rough start to the school year, but is hoping to reset by restoring some healthy habits.Reading latelyAbby read the YA novel Dear Martin by Nic Stone and Sarah read the (surprise!) thriller Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner.Eating latelySarah's went back to an old favorite: mung bean dal from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (very similar to this version, but with carrots instead of apples).Abby wanted the ease of a sheet pan dinner, and gave Pinch of Yum's garlic ginger chicken a try.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Food quirks

We share the details of our days from Tuesday, September 15th. We did a similar episode two years ago if you’d like to see how our days have changed. Things we mentioned:BlueyThe Penderwicks by Jeanne BirdsallCalm sleep stories (HP’s favorites are Wonder, the Night Train, and the Christmas Train)Blue light glassesLife latelySarah has creatures roaming her duct work and Abby is loving Blueland for plastic-free household cleaners and soaps.Reading latelySarah loved the ending of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane and Abby listened to Augustus Burroughs’ memoir, Dry.Eating latelyAbby and her mom made homemade truffles.Sarah’s family enjoyed a Moroccan potato salad from Mark Bittman’s cookbook, VB6.If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Day in our (pandemic) lives

Friendlier is like eavesdropping on a phone call between Sarah and Abby, long time friends—and now parents—who love to talk, read, and eat. Every episode we review books, share recipes, and explore a sometimes random/sometimes serious topic. Join us!

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