Maximalist Life

Ep 7 - The Art of Romanticizing Your Life

• Brianna Gamble & Tamika Stringfellow

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Episode Summary:

Life’s too short not to romanticize the hell out of it. In this episode, we’re talking about how to make the everyday feel a little more magical—whether it’s your morning coffee, your skincare routine, or even the most boring errands. From small rituals to mindset shifts, we’re finding ways to make life feel good, even in the little moments.

  • ✨ What it actually means to romanticize your life
  • 🌅 Simple tweaks to make daily routines feel special
  • 💆‍♀️ Why self-care (yes, even skincare) is a whole vibe
  • 🚗 Turning frustrating tasks (like school pickups) into main character moments
  • 🏡 Creating a work/home space that sparks joy
  • 👗 Dressing for yourself & why personal style matters
  • 🏆 Bringing a little friendly competition to work for a morale boost
  • 🎨 Making your home feel like you through decor & design
  • 🌍 Romanticizing travel & making even small trips feel unforgettable
  • 📸 Taking the damn pictures—because memories matter
  • 💡 Listener tips on making life feel more joyful

If you’re ready to stop waiting for big moments to feel happy and start embracing the little ones, this episode is for you. 💖


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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Episode 7 of maximalist life. I'm your host, brianna, and I'm Tamika, and today I want to talk about romanticizing your life. Yay, fun.

Speaker 2:

I love to do this.

Speaker 1:

There are so many things that you could do to romanticize your life. Okay, I guess we should start off. What does that even mean? What is romanticizing? People talk about that all the time and they say stuff about it on social media, but to me, romanticizing your life just means making things that maybe are just mundane into more delightful little joys of your, even just like your day to day.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

It doesn't have to be like you're going on this huge, like expensive trip or anything, but it could be, yeah, yeah, it could be, it could be a big thing it could be, but it also could just be like I don't know. Yeah, just making your life more enjoyable. Yeah, which is what maximalist life is all about maximizing your experience here on earth.

Speaker 2:

And this means like on a daily right.

Speaker 1:

On a daily yes In the simple things. Yeah, so it could even be as simple as like, let's say, it's your morning or evening routine. I heard this thing one time this lady, you know she was talking about important to when you wake up and you need to drink water, and but just like, first of all, I hate water me too just water just plain water me too, so I don't typically drink plain water.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know me, I'm a kind of spoiled brat, only sparkling okay.

Speaker 1:

I know.

Speaker 2:

I know, you know, both of my parents only drink sparkling water, which is really weird, because they didn't like. My dad wasn't around my entire life, but then, when I reconnected with him, he drinks the water exactly the same way my mother does. Interesting sparkling with a lemon.

Speaker 1:

That's so cute, though, yeah yeah, so I mean it could be that like you could just switch to sparkling water or just get a fancy glass to drink your water out of Drink it out of a wine glass every time, I mean, that's not a wine glass.

Speaker 1:

Martini is a little, I do that actually a lot with my like white wine glasses, because they're like really big and I just I do, I drink a lot of drinks out of that. Or like if I make an iced coffee, sometimes like I want it in that and I can just like jingle it around. I got the little stem. But yeah, I mean this one lady I heard she was saying with the water she would even just like put like yeah, her little lemon slice in like a fancy glass and then she would put like a little bit of like Himalayan salt in it, or you know, what I see on TikTok too is those people and they just open up or they show like they do this weekly.

Speaker 2:

They open up their ice drawer and it just has all the different kind of ices in there and then different like shapes right, they have like the circle or the big ones, and then they have like fruit in them, and then some of them do with coffee too. That's how they make their iced coffee.

Speaker 1:

You know, but having that little just like visual and I mean fruit is cheap and water is free, right, and those things you can get at the dollar store, and you just have like a little box full of them and you just put it in your water every morning and you just feel delightful, that's cute, I mean also, you know, people are some people are very particular about their eyes and so even if you just get like you can get one of those little ice machines from amazon that makes like the little circle ice, if that just like makes you more happy than having a cube of ice or crushed or whatever.

Speaker 2:

I hate crushed ice. Do not crush the crushed icing at our house.

Speaker 1:

Everyone will yell at you, okay, because we hate crushed ice, yeah, even though I do like sonic ice.

Speaker 2:

Do you have a reason why? Why does it have to be so broken up like that? You just gotta chew the ice. What is happening? And it takes hella long to come out because it's, you know, crushing it. Oh, I see, you know. So you're just pressing this thing hella long and then it finally comes out, and then it could stop, and then it just have. I mean, our ice cubes aren't huge, you know that. Come out of there, fuck.

Speaker 1:

In the mornings I like to. I mean, my favorite thing is to get up before anybody else.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we know you like to get up at 5, am I like to get? I get really early texts from her.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I'm still sleeping, ma'am, I love to get up when it's still dark outside, like for some reason. If I wake up and the Sun is start is already coming out, I'm like I'm fucked.

Speaker 2:

My morning is fucked up it does worry me because I get up so early, typically when it is dark, so when I see the Sun I go fuck, I'm late or something's wrong. You know like I slept in too late, so it does scare me Maybe that's what it is.

Speaker 1:

Maybe it's like a trauma response. I'm like I can't see the sun shining through my blinds. I'm going to freak the fuck out. Yeah, no, but I just. I really like to get up super early, I need outside, and then I like to make my coffee and I want to like fill my hole downstairs like the smell of coffee, and then I have a couple of candles I put next to me, because I have a little setup where I got my laptop and everything. So I like to just get my candles, get my coffee and then I have my little like okay, let me check everything, let me just get a little, you know, just put my thumb on the pulse of, like what's going on. I need the ambience and it works best if it's dark and it's not like sun shining through, like the, the vibe that I want in the morning. I need it to be relaxing and it's easier for me to kind of ease into my day yeah, it's not like sunshine bright.

Speaker 1:

We have to fucking go yeah, yeah, no, I don't want that. Yeah, that's how I feel about when people work out in the morning, like when we used to, when I used to work out with you in the morning and I was like my alarm goes off and I just got to like get my shoes on and run over there and do a bunch of squats.

Speaker 2:

I'm like I just See, I prefer that life.

Speaker 1:

I hate that so much.

Speaker 2:

I don't want out of the fucking bed because I have two modes. It's like go or lazy slug, and the lazy slug will take over if I stay in that bed too long. So I just need to. I literally can't think about it. I just got to throw my thing out, get the fuck out of the bed and just start right away.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I can see that. I can see that being, I can't.

Speaker 2:

I can't. That's just like my routine. I have to do it, okay. What about skincare? Oh, I love skincare yeah, I love to buy all kinds. I have like a little shelf, like a clear shelf with tons of shit, like this whole thing, yeah, and then underneath, like my, my cabinet, I have like hella makeup and all you know, it's just like kind of my jam you know, uh.

Speaker 2:

So I think something that's nice is, if you can't, if not like, here's a different option too you buy a nice moisturizer and then every morning you just put on your face so soft like you're at the spa and you're just like you, just feel good yeah, and just feels the nourishing touches on your skin but you just put your, you know your, you do your skin care routine like you're at the spa yeah, I okay.

Speaker 1:

So I've never really had like an actual skin care routine. I mean, I guess I have like I have. Like you know, I like wash my face, I exfoliate, I do my little toner but I never really like it out yeah, I never really had.

Speaker 1:

Like I'll watch people on social media and they're like I have a serum and I have, and I'm like I don't, I don't know. So last year I was like I'll watch people on social media and they're like I have a serum and I have, and I'm like I don't, I don't know. So last year I was like I'm gonna have a full-blown skincare routine and so, and I also don't want to spend a lot of money on that stuff because to me it doesn't uh, I want it more for the vibe okay than for the benefits of the skincare.

Speaker 2:

So so if the packaging, the packaging is cute, you're fine yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I just want to be like doing the things and feeling like it's happening. I'm totally okay with doing things full-blown, knowing that it is just in my mind that like I'm getting benefits of something, yeah the placebo effect is totally okay with me yeah, yeah, same, um.

Speaker 1:

So I was like, let me just. But then I did start looking into some skincare or whatever, and then I ended up. So I just a budget-friendly skincare brand obviously is the Ordinary and it's a pretty good. I mean, it's a pretty good line. And so I just like went through and I made this whole little skincare routine and it got stuff and it was very affordable and I just felt like man, this is luxury, luxury living right here. Yeah. With my serums and my nice cinamide or whatever the hell it's called, oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

I don't do too much skincare stuff, which I should do more. I'm really bad. But I use the Desi moisturizer. I can't remember what it's called, but it's the Desi Skin one and it's the cutesti skin one and it's the cutest, most aesthetic looking. It's like in this, like cream Color, plaster, color bottle and you push it down like this and it comes out the top and it's so fucking cute.

Speaker 2:

And it also works like I really really like it so that like I mean I don't it's under 40 and so I use that and I feel like I really like that and I like the way it looks on my like countertop and stuff and then.

Speaker 2:

I do. The one thing that I do spend money on is my Chanel foundation I. It works really well. I have used every. There are other ones that work really well too, but I and I've used so many you know I was a makeup artist for a long time and the Chanel one, you know I have to buy it four times a year. It cost me $60. It is what it is. I love it, you know. It works well on my skin and for my day.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it just makes you feel good Like, oh, I'm doing my makeup. I love this foundation. It just makes it so much more enjoyable than like just using this like budget foundation or something or something other, one that you don't like as much yeah, which I actually use four different foundations, depending on my god I know like.

Speaker 2:

I use, like you know, a mac one or this one, depending on like how light I want, but for my every day to go to work is my Chanel one. I love it.

Speaker 1:

I think too. What about? So I almost think romanticizing your life is the most important for the things in your life. That kind of suck ass, oh god, yeah. Like what about school pickup or drop off?

Speaker 2:

I mean so not there's just.

Speaker 1:

I feel like I am in hell when I'm so glad that my son now takes the bus to school. I mean, he loves it, he wanted to take the bus so bad and he would die of embarrassment if I dropped him off at school. So I'm very thankful for that. But for all of your space buttons with my space buttons and my clip-in bangs.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he's so embarrassed yeah um, but all through elementary school you know I was doing the drop-off and the pickups and I just wanted to die. It was so frustrating. If you have ever done school drop off or pickup, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Speaker 2:

I think for me I would put good music on and the kids and I would jam out, or I would jam out by myself, and I think you just have to bring that vibe in your car, yeah, you know, and so that you feel good picking them up and I know that's really hard in the morning, Like you have shitty days where, like you woke up late or the kids woke up late and then you got to like get going and it is what it is. But I think creating that vibe if you can feel like you have a candle in your car- yeah, Right, yeah, Like we.

Speaker 1:

the other thing too is we only have like a four minute drive in between our house and his elementary school when I was doing the drop off, and so if we were having kind of a shitty morning, it's like we have such a short amount of time to like get it together in the car, and so I would try to at least always like let's put on some like you know good music, let's put on something kind of jam out to you, and then I would try to like start it off. We're getting close to school and I'd be like, okay, today's gonna. I'd always tell him today's gonna be a great day. You know why today's gonna be a great day? Because you're gonna choose right now that today's gonna be great, and we always talk about this like you're such a nice mom oh, thanks, I would just be like it doesn't matter, because there might be something.

Speaker 1:

He's like oh, I have a test today or have something, and I'm like it doesn't matter, you just have to choose right now that today's going to be great and things might all of it might not be exactly what you want, there might be some ups and downs, but just choose. Right now I'm having a great day and so if he's in a bad mood in the mornings or something, I we still now to this day. I go hey, what kind of day are you going to have today?

Speaker 2:

And he's like shut up. Yeah, you are so embarrassing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but that was always like a fun thing, yeah. And then for pickup, what I started doing was I started having him because picking up in the front of the school was so infuriating with just how people don't like follow the rules. And you know I hate when people don't follow the rules. And you know I hate when people don't follow the rules and so you're such a real follower.

Speaker 2:

You know I'm a real follower too. I don't really like breaking rules.

Speaker 1:

I don't like it. Yeah, it makes me so pissed when people do that, so I um, I, I had him. I was like, okay, you're gonna start, I'm gonna start picking you up in the back of the school, and there would be you know, there would be parents who do that too, but it was just a little bit more calm back there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that was like your own little calmness that you brought to it, yep.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I would get there early. I'd be like I'm going to get here like 20 minutes early so that not only could I park kind of up front in that area but I have time to like read a book or listen to a podcast or do something to kind of like calm. Because what would be frustrating is if I would be leaving work and then I'm running late to pick him up and then I'm stressed, yeah, and that's just like, oh, my god, um. So I would always try to just like get there early and have time just like chill, before he gets in the car, because the last thing I want to do is, when he gets in the car, like stress him out with my day. So, yeah, that made it really nice, mom.

Speaker 2:

I'm the opposite. No, yeah, I am like we're driving the kids to school and I'm like, all right, have a good day, love. You get the fuck out, you know. And you got to just get out and like when I pick up, it's like I got to get back to work. Okay, hurry up and get in the fucking car. We got to go. Like'll be back later, you know.

Speaker 2:

I'm much more of a crazier mom in that aspect Like I'm not trying to calm anyone down, you know. So I mean, I've had. I definitely have days like that too, but yeah, we talk to our kids very differently. We do, we do. You're much nicer and calmer than I am.

Speaker 1:

I really try, I really try, yeah, yeah, um, and then I don't know, work environment is. It's a little tough. So I mean, totally depends on your work environment, right?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean so some things you can't control is like you looking cute every day if you want to, or pick one day where you kind of say like I'm going to really get ready today, because it really is exhausting trying to figure out outfits every day. I only have to do four a week and I'm like I can't fucking think of a different outfit today.

Speaker 1:

Also because you know I don't like to repeat my outfits for long periods of time. And you really care about your outfits. Where some people don't, they're like I don't really, I'm just going to throw on something, but sometimes I just want to put a t-shirt and jeans on.

Speaker 2:

But I did that one day sweater and jeans on and that was. It was so plain and I go oh I look ugly.

Speaker 2:

I feel ugly. Today I was, and to me I was like mom, it's fine, it's a regular outfit I go. I don't really dress like. This is ugly for me, geez. And so I was so pissed off that day so it put me in a bad mood right right, right from the beginning, and as soon as I got home, I'd rather be in my sweats than this stupid outfit. Yeah, I was pissed. Yeah, so just wearing stuff that makes you feel confident, whatever that is.

Speaker 1:

If you can. I mean, of course, some places like you have a uniform or like you're expected to dress.

Speaker 2:

Well then, wear your hair cute or curl it that day.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, or get your nails done cute or do something like if you can customize how you look in any way yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's really smart. I definitely think it makes a big difference. I used to when I would come and I would have shoots. You know, when you're behind the camera, you're just like it's not about me, like I'm just focused on making this person in front of the camera feel really good, look really good, and so a lot of times too, like our shoots would start really early in the morning and I'm like I'm not putting any effort yeah, you look like shit.

Speaker 1:

I always looked like shit. Yeah and yeah, I do like your little uh boots, your little shooting boots that just had mud.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it had mud on them because you had to be out there in the field and it's wet doing my senior portraits?

Speaker 1:

yeah, yeah, and you would wear the worst outfits the worst, and so it is a little bit easier, obviously, when we're shooting in the studio, uh, and so I have been like, if I have shoots, I've been trying to dress a little more fun and more like put together and I feel so much better presenting myself to this person as like, think about too, like if I'm doing your branding photos, if you show up and your photographer looks like ass, that's not gonna make you feel. It's like when you go to get your hair done and your hairstylist has the shittiest hair, or their hair's like up in this nasty, like messy bun and they haven't washed it for days and and you're like this doesn't make me feel good about you being able to do what you're about to do.

Speaker 2:

That's why I do have the morning routine that I have. I know, even even in the simplest way, that I maybe I only have 15 minutes to put on my makeup. I don't ever come to work without makeup. I never. And I mean, I'll wear a hat, that's fine.

Speaker 2:

Like if I'm like I'm not gonna do my hair today, then throw on a cute hat or whatever, or a beanie, but I just make a point to look nice, I mean, especially because it's in our industry. I guess, like who gives a? If you were like work in a factory and you're doing like all these factory things, like the most you could do is like pop your collar right, like what are you gonna do? So, like, at that, though, you're doing it for yourself, which I almost even think it's better to do it for yourself and for others. So if you could just wear like a little bit of makeup or whatever. But yeah, I think you need to think of it in that way, like if you're in an industry where you especially in the beauty industry, I see it a lot they don't make an effort, and that's fine for some people If that's like the client kind of they always say you attract your the client.

Speaker 2:

That's like you exactly and so that's fine if that's the kind of salon you work at. You know, just like I don't kink, shame people, like if that's your thing, then it is what it is. But for me it's just never been that way, like I always was the one. You know. I think about this like old school, like I think like you should dress up when you go to church, yeah, yeah, I mean I get it Like come as you are and that's great.

Speaker 2:

But, like for me and my family, I think we always should look nice. I think it makes us feel good, it makes our experience a little bit better and it's just something that we put effort in. And obviously there's probably some other things we don't put effort in that people are like judging us. But for me and and myself, I just think outfits and the way you present yourself in the world makes you feel better. Who doesn't like getting compliments? Except for me, like you know, like saying your hair is cute or whatever, and I also just try to do that for women too when I see that they have something cute.

Speaker 2:

I want to stop them and go. Your outfit is so cute today. Yeah, I just love your bag or your hair is cute, Like it, especially the crazy, crazier outfits. And you know, I want like. I seen some people at the airport and I'm just like I can't believe she's wearing this outfit. It's so fucking crazy for the airport. But I know she tried and I want to go. I fucking love your outfit. Yeah, Because I do. I think like, yeah, good effort, man, I really like it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think you're dope yeah, I love that well and I think too okay. So other things that work too, that maybe aren't looks related or outfit related um, I, I mean, I'm just a really competitive person though too, so.

Speaker 1:

I like to do like little competitions to make things a little bit more fun. And so I remember when I was 19 I was working at this coffee shop and it was like a little hut and so there would just be like two of us working and we have our own like window and you know cars.

Speaker 1:

It was like just a drive-thru thing. So to kind of make the day go by faster, or like make it more fun, I would be like, hey, let's have a competition and see on this shift who can sell the most ad shots, so like, if someone orders a copy, just try to convince them to like do you want to add an extra shot? 50 cents or whatever. And so we would have this competition throughout the day, which of course, it's like now not only am I having a better day, this person's having more fun, also the business is making more money because we're upselling, and so it's just like a win-win-win all around for everybody. And I think because we're upselling and so it was just like a win, win, win all around for everybody. And I think because we were just, it made our customer service better, because you're trying so hard to like sell them on this thing.

Speaker 2:

And so it made it just stuff like that that you can think of, just any little thing to make your day just a little bit more fun or even manageable, yeah, yeah, especially if you feel like tired at your job or it's so shitty, like if you, yeah, you have one thing that you just like think is delightful that day, a little daily delight, yeah, like one of the things that. So I want to start drinking coffee from home instead of going to Starbucks all the time.

Speaker 2:

And so I was like I always do this thing and I'm sure a hell of people do this where it's like then you need a cute coffee cup oh, for sure right and so, like I was like my friend makes cups and so I was like I need to ask her if she can make this cup for me, because then I'll feel good when I'm holding it, it's like part of my outfit, it's so cute. People are gonna be like, oh, I love your cup or something you know. Yeah, so stuff like that, like I think, is fun too, yeah, I do drink a lot of coffee from home.

Speaker 1:

I actually only have been getting Starbucks a lot recently because we've been doing the podcast and then we're getting here early and I'm just like rushing Um. But when I don't have shoots, I work from home and so I'm doing a lot of work from home, and so I think when you work from home, it's really easy to get in the habit of you get out of bed and then whatever you wore to bed, that's what you wear to work, because you just walk down, I don't wear anything to bed.

Speaker 1:

Well then, you can't wear that tits out. Yeah, it's just, it's so easy because you're like, oh, I could just be cozy and get my work done, but I feel like that makes me a little less productive most of the time. And so even just getting an outfit on because here's the thing too I am trying to do more like getting outside and like walking more, and I'm trying to walk my stupid dog more and he's not stupid, he's really cute.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, one of the things is too, I think I heard. Uh, so Drew, drew and Vern are the one that told me about it where you're supposed to like the first 15 minutes a day is supposed to have sunshine on your face and so like that's one thing they do.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I do, I go out on my patio.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I don't practice that, I just got to. I probably don't see sun all day. Yeah, yeah. So, but they do that and they really like that. Like drew stands outside in our backyard with his coffee yeah, that's what I'm coming down and he just loves it and he just is like that just starts to stay off.

Speaker 1:

Good, I'm like, oh, good for you. Yeah, I do. I do do that a lot in my dog. You know I feel like a lot of dogs they like to just like sunbathe, and so I'll just go outside in my little patio and the sun's out. I just want. I just kind of like put my face up like towards the sun.

Speaker 2:

You're in Mexico. Well, I just Taking the sun raisin.

Speaker 1:

I just like, yeah, I'm like imagining the what is it? Vitamin D yeah, Just like absorbing into my skin.

Speaker 2:

It's like a facial. Yeah, I'm like man, this feels like red light therapy. I mean, I know it's not, but you know the red light therapy is just like. Here's my red light therapy. Yeah, yeah, that's nice.

Speaker 1:

And so I've been trying to also get dressed. Like I'm not getting dressed the way I would to come to the studio and I'm not doing my makeup. But I have been trying, even if I it's still like it's more like athleisure. Okay, so it's still comfy outfit, but it's not like pajamas, no bra like I'll just put on, even if it's like a sports bra, something, because I want to feel like, okay, I'm a little bit more put together, I'm doing my work and then at any given moment I could just throw my shoes on and take my dog for a walk, yeah. Or if I'm like, oh, I need to go get the mail, and like I won't do a lot of those things because I'm like I'm not dressed.

Speaker 2:

I look crazy. I think for me I work from home I would have so many workout sets.

Speaker 1:

You think so Like sweat sets and stuff like that.

Speaker 2:

I mean, I know I would.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's just like.

Speaker 2:

And so then it would be like oh, I just have like this monochromatic, like tan one on yeah, and then I would have this one and just like the half zips uniform every day.

Speaker 2:

I would have like four or five of those to rotate throughout the week. And you know what? Here's the thing even if you're just in your sweats, put a fucking necklace on something, put your earrings on. I always say, if you don't have earrings on, your boy. And so sometimes my kids come out to me I'll go oh, I forgot to wear my earrings. I'm a boy today, mom. Yeah, you know, and so that's a big thing is like putting earrings on, just that's it it's simple studs just your studs every day or what?

Speaker 1:

something that's easy because I lose a lot of earring pieces is have these tiny hoops that you can just put the time yes, they already have a back or whatever, and you just have them there, you just throw them on and then you just feel good yeah, and the other thing which I know you're you'll laugh about, you know I just I want to put my little hair oil and I want to brush my hair hold on put my cuticle oil on my nails and then I feel ready because you know the other.

Speaker 1:

The other thing that happens is my son's friends come like there's all these neighborhood boys. I'm so glad I have a boy, because there's mostly only like boys in our neighborhood and so we always have, because what would happen if there was girls?

Speaker 2:

well, I just don't think he would have as much fun oh yeah, you're saying like something for you and I'm like, well, what would the girls matter?

Speaker 1:

I'm glad all these little boys are my name no, but I know, I know why.

Speaker 2:

So you don't have to get ready. That's what my mind was going like. You don't have to be fully ready because there's all these little girls. You know.

Speaker 1:

That's why I was like when I was like, what is, what is the boys? Yeah, I like that, like he has a lot of friends and stuff, but they come, they knock on that.

Speaker 2:

They're fucking knocking on my door constantly oh, my god, we have one little kid. She knocks on the door all the time. You know, I already don't like kids and she just goes israel. And then we're like no, and then she comes back, or she'll go. Well, where is she? Uh-uh, excuse me, don't worry about where she is. And then she comes back three hours later and she's like is Rihanna home? And I'm like no, I'm like ma'am, she's not going to be here until tomorrow. Please don't come back, please don't. I keep having to get up from the fucking couch to like keep opening the door.

Speaker 1:

So that's the thing.

Speaker 2:

Where it says he hides.

Speaker 1:

That's where I you know she's at the door Like if I would just be in my pajamas and my hair is just like up in this clip and I have no bra on, like I mean I can't answer the door, I can't like just be out there with my nipples out. Bentley's not here, sorry that feeling. And then I'm like more mad at them. I'm like why are you knocking on my door, even though, like I love it and I love that he has friends. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I love that he goes outside and that they're all like on their bike.

Speaker 1:

I love that little girl. I mean, yeah, but I'm just like, but it makes me and I'm like, why am I mad? It's like, well, I'm mad because I'm not presentable. To open the door, yeah, and so that makes it easier for me to to not be pissed off at all.

Speaker 2:

The little boys in my neighborhood you know, the weird thing is like, just like I said, I have two modes with the outfit. I mean with like being a slug or going crazy, yeah is. I also have two modes with my outfits. Either I look like shit and then I have a beanie on and I have no makeup, yeah. Or have this, and you know the funny thing is you would think I'd give a, but I don't give a. I'll open the door.

Speaker 2:

I don't I'll go outside of the house no makeup on, like I don't on my days off, like, honestly, I don't give a. But I think because I dress up enough during the week, like it doesn't I don't care if someone sees me like that, whatever. And maybe because, like, most of my outfits still are matching, like my sweatshirt and I still have nice sneakers on and then I have a beanie on, but I guess I don't really care about, like well, I'm gonna say I feel like your slug outfits are way better than my slug outfits, like you're the one that you did your closet.

Speaker 2:

You didn't have one sweatshirt. I don't know it was like good enough to wear, oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

I mean like cute little athletes or stuff. I mean, what I'm talking about is I'm talking about I'm wearing like mismatched, like I'm wearing Christmas pajamas bottoms and then. I have just like a random it's like a dolly parton t-shirt and it doesn't even match or coordinate whatsoever. And then my hair is like hella greasy and up in this it's like I can't be seen okay, I can't, so I can't even take out my trash.

Speaker 1:

I can't. Well, I'm not taking the trash. I mean you know that, you know we're not taking it, but like if my son forgets or like. So every week I get a hello fresh delivery and every time it pisses me off because my son leaves at 8 30 for school and they deliver it at 9 am every time and I'm like god damn it.

Speaker 1:

So I have to go out on my porch. Oh my god, I go out on my porch and then I'm like I can't though I can't go out there if I look crazy because I'm like someone will see me and my neighbors can. It's my camera no, because they put it like at the end of my porch. I have to like literally walk out there, I guess I don't really care.

Speaker 2:

Oh man, I go outside barefoot, in like a t-shirt, no brawn. I just I don't know.

Speaker 1:

I guess I don't give a shit about that, which is weird well, also, I guess my thing is that I don't know, I'm like maybe this is the time like, maybe this is the time that there's like a hot Amazon driver gonna be, coming up or something, or, and so yeah, so they always and I'm like, oh my god, so I have to go out and do that, and then I have to, you know, unload the hello fresh stuff into my fridge, and then I just have this box, and so another one of my son's jobs is to like break down the boxes and the recycling whatever and so I don't want to walk out even to my patio now undressed and do all that.

Speaker 1:

So I just open the door and I throw it. I just throw the box out see. See you later. I'm like he can deal with it later. Yeah, but you know, it reminds me too whenever I door dash stuff, I door dash or I Instacart a lot, and I don't understand when these door dashers don't. Can you please just put the bag literally like lean it up against my front door so I could just open it, grab it and just snatch it in really quick and shut the door. Why you have to put it at the end of my little walkway. So I have to walk. You're such a dick I have to walk all the way out there and look like this homeless lady.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it pisses me off they do that on purpose, just for you. They're like oh, this is this miss gamble lady. Well, what we're gonna do is we're gonna put it here so she has to look like homeless lady walking out to get it.

Speaker 1:

And we're going to record her looking homeless and put it on tech talk. Yeah, yeah, I bet that's what there's a bunch of videos out there of you Like.

Speaker 2:

Look at Brianna Gamble in the wild. Yeah Right, oh my.

Speaker 1:

God. I know, um, what about even just like your silverware or your like your dishes or like I in our house that we're in now, all the the cabinet pulls and stuff, they're all gold. And my silverware was silver and it was old and kind of like mismatched. I had like different sets from like over the years and stuff and my mom actually was the one who she was at my house last time and she was like I think you need new silverware.

Speaker 2:

Well, because, let's be honest, little kids throw away the silverware. That's like such a fucking thing. Like all of a sudden you have no spoons and you're going where the fuck do spoons go? And you realize that kids accidentally throw away the silverware with like their plate, their paper plate or whatever their napkin. They're just like throwing the silverware with like their plate, yeah, their paper plate, or whatever their napkin. They're just like throwing the silverware away too, oh for sure.

Speaker 1:

So I got rid of, I threw away all my mismatched silverware and I got all gold, cute little flatware and it just makes me so happy every time I go to like plate something up and I'm like look at my fun little fork.

Speaker 2:

yeah, so when we remodeled the house I did open like cabinets on top and I got all new glasses right and it's like the more modern glasses and everyone was so scared to use these glasses.

Speaker 2:

Everyone kept saying I don't want to use these wine glasses, I don't want to use these. You know, I don't want to break it. Let me tell you something. Those are fucking from HomeGoods. Home goods, yeah, but everyone and even myself, because they were in a certain shape or whatever and everything was matching and everything like looked nice on the on the shelf. It looked like it was like fancy, but it wasn't, it was cheap. We've broken all of them at this point. Okay, the thing is like you do that in the beginning you kind of romanticize like this kitchen, Now they're all fucking broken, they're all fucking mismatched. I have to throw all of them away, Like I just was looking at our shelf. So I think we did that in 2000. I don't freaking. Remember 2022. I don't remember.

Speaker 1:

Anyways.

Speaker 2:

And I looked at the cabinets and I was like, all right, I got to take everything off these shelves and I got to redo it all and I got to get matching stuff. And yeah, i'm'm gonna have to do this, like probably Sunday. I was thinking Sunday I'm gonna have to do that and you know, I don't wanna commit to that.

Speaker 1:

Well, I think that's the thing. The, I guess, little key thing is not feeling like doing this up.

Speaker 1:

You don't have to spend a lot of money and if it's stuff like that at your house, especially if you have kids or if you have whatever like I mean, I don't even have little kids, but you know, bentley, like just the other day broke one of my glasses. Yeah, I can't have nice things and I'm like man. So now I had a little set of these glasses and I don't have a set and I'm all pissed about it, but of course I'm not gonna tell him that I'm just and it's not even little kids to me.

Speaker 2:

I broke some of the glasses she's 22 and Drew's, you know. That's why originally I couldn't buy. I can't buy expensive wine glasses because, honestly, drew would break every single one. We've got a little bit wine drunk and it would just you put it around too hard when you put it down and it just yeah, goes crazy and chatters. So I mean I know that, but you could still get things like in cute shapes, like you don't have to buy your cups from anthropology also too, depending on your personality.

Speaker 1:

So when we went to riley's house, she's like more. She's very eclectic, she loves thrifting and she thrifted all these like coffee mugs and glasses and yeah, they're all mismatched, but so cute.

Speaker 2:

I mean just so that's another thing that's like the maximalist, like design, right, you know how is that?

Speaker 1:

that is matching yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I think that is something and I think even now that's so in thrifting mm-hmm, all that kind of stuff and getting stuff from there, and I it's such a cute style yeah, you know, and it makes it easy to swap things out if you no longer are like into that. I feel like I'm gonna have a hard time finding the glasses I need, just pissed about it exhausted thinking about it oh my gosh, uh, oh.

Speaker 1:

So okay, you were talking about like kind of, if you were to work from home, like you might have these workout outfits or like matching sets. It made me think of Kristen oh god, she's so cute, she's okay. So she's been on this like fitness journey and she, um, does a lot of classes, like she does like spinning classes and like boxing and all this stuff, and she's one of those people like she likes to have like a vibe everything needs to be about. She definitely romanticizes her whole life I love that about her, yeah yeah, and she okay, so recently she joined a gym.

Speaker 2:

That's 45 minutes away from her house. Okay, that's the first thing. It's 45 minutes away, however in like a nicer area.

Speaker 1:

It's a very nice area and there's no gyms like that around here. That that's why she had to. That was part of the reason why she had to go to like that one, Because it's such a vibe.

Speaker 2:

It's like really aesthetic, Like it's like, I mean it's like a big city.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, gym, you know, everything's like cute colors and cute tones and they have like the Pilates classes and all that stuff, instead of just like 24 hour fitness well, and she was saying everybody, like everyone who goes there, you know, like they are kind of like that.

Speaker 2:

I think there's a lot of like Gen Z and millennials there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, they all dress like and they're all like taking videos and photos and doing the shit that you know people get annoyed with at other gyms, and so she just feels like that's what she needed.

Speaker 2:

It's worth it for me herself to go to the gym and make it so like that's where she wanted to be, because off obviously to going and working out and working at the gym and saying committed to that, that's like the hardest thing in the world oh, yeah, and so for her, that's what she needed, and so she makes a commitment to drive. You know, she says it's like 30 minutes or so each way there and do these workouts and she loves posting about them, and she you know and that just makes it.

Speaker 2:

That's a whole vibe for her life that's something she romanticizes every time she goes and decides to do that and she'll pay, like this crazy monthly gym fee for this also because it's worth it to her and that's what she values and it makes her life so much more enjoyable.

Speaker 1:

So don't be afraid to do that, like yeah, of course we're always talking about like oh, how can you do this stuff on a budget? Of course, um, but yeah, I mean, if there's things in your life that like that's the something where you go, okay, I can do other things on a budget, but this one thing I want to have a luxury experience when I go to the gym.

Speaker 2:

I think that's okay. The same thing like I want to have a luxury experience when we go to a spa yeah, I mean I like you know, like I love the Korean spa and that was cheap it's like 100 bucks. You know good and that was so good and that's such a different experience. But I do like going to high end spas.

Speaker 2:

I went to one in Italy. It's like the number one spa in the world. I saw like they like hella, celebrities have gone and stuff, and you know it wasn't that expensive. To be honest, I think it was like 350 for a massage. I mean, we were on vacation and it was one of the most beautiful places I've had have ever been. I can't remember what it's called.

Speaker 2:

We'll, I'll figure it out, I'll put it in the show notes um, but like the next year, like, or a couple years later, like kim kardashian and all them, they had like a Versace show there. Of course, Like it's such an amazing and I'll post pictures with my sister-in-law there. It was such a fun experience and it happened to be in the area that we were at. And I just like looked up a spot and it was like number one spot in the world.

Speaker 1:

And I was like wow, this place is dope, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and doing stuff like that is really huge, like romanticizing stuff for me, I think um we always take family photos on vacation on vacation, or drew and drew, and I just do a couple photos, like we did a couple of photos in um Paris in front of the Eiffel tower.

Speaker 1:

We picked out outfits.

Speaker 2:

Um, I think it was so freaking cute. I even hired a videographer and I did that and I think that's just something for us and I think it was so fun and it it actually cheaper than in America, honestly.

Speaker 2:

I think that um, for each thing I paid under $300 for them to do a photo shoot and then like maybe it was like two, 50 or three for a video or whatever, and these people that I met, they're creatives and I loved it and we had such a fun day. I mean, my husband is really willing to do stuff like that. He actually has fun doing things like that with me. So I, you know, try to do those.

Speaker 2:

So we did that in Paris, we've done it in Spain, we've done it in Hawaii with the kids we just really try to do family photos, because I think that those photos are like really good family photos that you should post on your Christmas cards, because it's like you're at a place and they don't have to be perfect.

Speaker 1:

Well and it's uh, although it's like, yes, we are doing this photo shoot and it was like set up or whatever, it's still like you're showing something like, let's say, it's on your Christmas card, you it's like this is something we did this year as a family. We were creating memories. We were in this other like state or country or whatever we're on vacation, as opposed to when we talked about family photos last time, where it's just this like make believe set up out in a field that you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, we were in Greenwich village with my daughter um in December and we saw this family of four. They had older kids and they were sitting like on the sidewalk with their pizza box and they were talking and I looked down the street and it's like you know, brick, it's like paved, you know, in brick and stuff, and I was like this is a photo shoot like this is.

Speaker 1:

It wasn't a photo.

Speaker 2:

No, it wasn't they were literally just sitting there eating their pizza on this alleyway and I was like this is what family photos should look like.

Speaker 2:

Like it's not. It would just be like we're gonna go have this. It doesn't have to be like you're planning a photo shoot. It could be like we want to go to this ice cream shop. It's cute, we're gonna wear regular outfits and we're gonna have ice cream. For example, they went to New York. You get a photographer to come and shoot you for 50 for 30 minutes eating your, talking in the street, whatever. Those are such amazing photos and they're actually fun because you're just interacting with your family. You're not trying to pose everyone. No one's crying and stuff. I mean maybe. I mean, yeah, maybe. But if you put ice cream or pizza in kids' mouths, it's fine, and I think you have to realize it doesn't have to look perfect, it's better if it doesn't yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I think stuff like that for me is really like how I romanticize my life with Drew and my family is, like you know, taking in videos and photos of like our experiences. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I know, because I feel like there's there's ways to do things on a bigger scale, yeah. And then there's like you know ways to do things on a bigger scale, yeah. And then there's like you know, like you're talking about like on vacation or when you're throwing a party or something like that, and then there's also just so many ways to do it on your in your day to day life, and so you have to kind of think about all of it, and which ones are you, uh, do you want to just do on a budget? Which ones do you want to just do on a budget? Which ones do you want to, you know, spend more money on and things like that, yeah, um, you were talking about too like we've talked about parties, so like not just having a party, like not just throwing a party, but like how to romanticize that, yeah, so, like I think you, so obviously you can just throw a great Pinterest party right, like that would romanticize, like whatever you're celebrating.

Speaker 2:

But I think that one thing that I like is because I'm a gift giver. I try to do a gift. It doesn't have to be expensive. I ordered, you know, like I think I mentioned before I did tote bags for my daughter's graduation, so that's what they would take away, and I ordered them on Amazon and then I just iron some bows on it or you could have just tied some bows on it. You know, just like got some ribbon and tied it and I think like those tiny little things make it special and people like take that and they use it and they utilize it and I think you know it, look it for.

Speaker 2:

For me it just makes it a little bit extra special yeah and even if I we just had a regular graduation party and we just like did tote bags, I think that's super cute. You know, it could have been with her face on it. I could iron her face on it Like just so silly. You know I love silly things like that too. So I think doing like special things like that for parties is really cute you know, and that kind of like thing to do extra to me, you know everyone else. Have a little bit more fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, for sure, yeah yeah, I even like to just do little things like, um, you know like, if I'm just gonna like watch a tv show or like a movie or something with my son at home, like I, just it's just so much more fun when you just like create this little vibe and so you like you go, get like candy and popcorn, you make it like a movie and you get like really soft, like fuzzy blankets. You're super comfy, put the lights down and you may get this whole thing. It just makes it. I don't know why. It's just like. It's so much more fun and you're just so much more into it and enjoying your time than just like flipping through and being like what do you want to walk? It's like turning on something everything you do.

Speaker 2:

An experience? Yes, exactly, even if it's on a small scale mm-hmm and that maximizes your experience it does your daily experiences, yeah, um, of your life.

Speaker 2:

So it doesn't have to be like these huge things. I mean, even the other day, drew was like, okay, we're gonna watch the boy in the heron, yeah, and and he wanted to watch it with rihanna. And uh, he was like, when you go, can you go to the gas station or whatever and get some popcorn or whatever you know, and so we can have that and some candy and stuff. So you know she'll want to watch it and, like you know, she'll have fun, and so I think those little things for the kids is, like, you know, fun, it's so fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it could be anything. Yeah, really, you can do anything at all. Hear what kind of things that you guys like to do to romanticize your life, whether it's on these daily little delights or it's on like a bigger scale, yeah, just let us know. Or if you need more ideas, like, tell us something in your life that sucks and you're like, how do I romanticize this?

Speaker 1:

okay, tell me how I make this more enjoyable or better. Send us a DM. We'll give you some ideas. We'd love to hear from you. You can, as always, check us out on Instagram at maximalistlifepodcast. And that's all we got for you guys today, yeah that's it. Hope you're having fun. Yeah, we will see you next time. Tits up, tits out.