Behind the Lounge: A Q&A With Your Hosts

In this episode of Luxe Lounge, the ladies pull back the curtain and let listeners into their real lives. In a Q&A "behind the lounge" format, Josie, Tess, and Kerri open up about their daily routines, the seasons of life they're walking through, and the challenges that have shaped who they are today.

Josie shares what it looks like to be a working mom traveling for her business, the guilt of leaving her girls, and the moment her daughter proudly told her teacher, "my mom is the boss." Tess opens up about life on the feedlot, working 365 days a year, and staying true to herself in a life that looks nothing like the women around her. Kerri reflects on the quieter season she's in now with grown kids, the bittersweet reality of missing the young years, and a turning point as a young mom that reshaped how she sees identity and going after what makes her happy.

They talk about morning routines, how work life and home life collide, the mental load so many women carry in silence, and how each of them resets when things feel heavy. You'll also hear honest conversations about marriage, redefining motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, and the kind of friendship where you can snap at each other one minute and ask "what's for dinner?" the next.

The episode wraps with a rapid-fire round and their latest Lux Finds.

If you love honest conversations about motherhood, identity, marriage, and figuring out who you are, this episode is for you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Welcome to the lounge, ladies.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of Lux Lounge. We are your hosts, Josie, Tess, and Carrie.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

How's everyone feeling today? Good.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Good?

SPEAKER_03 0:20

I think. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yeah. Less nervous, so I'm less nervous today, too. Yeah. I feel good and more prepared this time.

unknown 0:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Yeah, I'm excited.

SPEAKER_02 0:31

Um it is taper week in my world. So my running mileage cuts way back. They call it the taper tantrums. So that is definitely alive and real in my life right now. I can't even relate to that. I don't.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

So you fly out tomorrow. I fly out tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

And when is the run? The race is Sunday. Yeah. And it's half half marathon. And do you feel ready? No, not at all. But that's okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

Do you ever feel ready now? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Um, more ready than I do now. I haven't, I just haven't had time to like overthink it. This this go around this build. But I've been putting the work in and we'll just see what happens. So proud of you. Yeah, I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

What is the feeling like when you're out there and you're running? Is it like empowering? And then what so what's it like at the start? What's the feeling at the start? Then what's the feeling as you're running? And then what's the feeling when you cross the finish line?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

I cry at every race start. Um nerves or what? No, it's I I wish I could explain the feeling to somebody. Running, you have all of these people who who come out and are cheering you on just because they want to. There is it's such a cool way to experience like humanity.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

Yeah, people are actually coming together for something.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

And like, and like just such so much support from people who don't know you, and like it's often rainy and cold, and it's long hours sitting there watching people, and yeah, it's really cool to see that. So that always makes me emotional. During the race, it's it's a mental game for sure. Like it gets challenging, you get you definitely hit walls, and the end of the race is uh again emotional and yeah, you just feel proud and yeah, yeah, I love it. And how long did it take? I'm hoping for sub-140 this this season. This season, I hope I get it.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Okay, sub 140. Sub-140. So below an hour and 40 minutes.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Yeah, I would like I you make me want to run so bad, but I just I hate it.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Okay, well, do you want to start slow? Because I'm doing the hardest y trail run. Okay. Well, trail run or walk, which is I believe June 20th. Um I got invited to it and I was like, are you the five or the ten? I didn't know there was options.

SPEAKER_02 3:03

So there was in the past. Okay. No uh fun fact. Yes. Josie Storbacken holds the record. Hell yeah, for the 10th.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

I don't know. I think your kids didn't you and your kids around.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

It was kind of like my first race back into racing. Yeah. Yeah. So I think I'm gonna do it. So yeah, you should do it. Okay, fine. Yeah, you have to you have to get over the first few weeks suck. Yeah. They suck. It sucks if you quit running and you get back into running. It doesn't matter how fit you are once you start running from not being a runner. Yeah, it's awful. It's not great, but you just push past.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

I'm just so embarrassed. What if someone drives by me on the road while I'm trying to run? I would rather die.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

What did you tell me when I said I don't want to wear outfits out? And I couldn't wear a trendy outfit. What was it that you said?

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Doesn't apply to me.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

But I think when you're in the race, like you're not even thinking about other people. No, you are so tuned into how you feel. You're fighting for your life. But the hardest D one, you can walk. That's what's got me going, is that the fact that I can walk. Okay. Walking doesn't mean you're not a runner. Okay. Who cares? Okay. And Josie, what one are we doing in the fall?

SPEAKER_03 4:20

I wouldn't. We're doing one in the fall.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

The Melissa's, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Melissa's. So are we doing it? I think so. All right, you're doing it.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Locked and loaded.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Well, switching gears, um, we're gonna talk today about um behind the lounge. Like what shaped us? What makes us uh who we are? Our day-to-day a little get to know us.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

Um it'll be a question and answer format this time around.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Yeah. Yeah. So first question is what does a typical day look like for you?

SPEAKER_03 5:01

So a typical day in my life, it depends if I'm working or not. If I'm working, I have to be at work by eight o'clock, and the girls go to daycare. My alarm typically goes off about four o'clock. I'm not good at getting up though, so I drag my ass out of bed about 420, 4:30, get myself fully ready, dressed, get my lunch ready and packed, get all the girls' stuff out, their outfits laid out, then they wake up six-ish, shove food in everyone's mouth, and out the door, big hair drop off, work, and then I don't get home till about six o'clock. So then it's just kind of madness. Try to get everyone fed, bath time. Sometimes we skip bath time, whatever. And then I'm so exhausted by the end of the night, but I try to prioritize a workout if I need to. Depends if I'm more like lifting weights three times a week or four times a week. If it's four, I have to do it on the days that I work. Um, yeah, and then the days that I don't work, it's I kind of get up when Crew gets up, and that's anywhere between 7, 7:30. Um, Swayze's on her own time. We never know when she'll wake up. Um, and they're just nuts from the second they open their eyes, they're go and play and activities. And now Crew's really into dressing herself, dressing her sister, doing her hair, doing her sister's hair. So that that takes about a good hour and a half in the morning. So then that's usually when I eat my breakfast, get my coffee in, get dressed for the day. And then, yeah, nap time, it's go time. Uh, I get my workout in, I can meal prep for the next day, uh, laundry, house cleaning, all that. And then yeah, it's then it's supper time and our bedtime routines again. And then it's wake up and repeat.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Yeah, great. For me. Uh, we don't, it's kind of the same with you as you, like it really depends if I'm out filming or if it's an office day or just a day at home.

unknown 7:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

Um, I usually will get up before anybody else, and I do a little bit of emails, coffee, and I call it like opening shift of the house. So emptying the dishwasher and stuff, and then it's the worst. Yes, I hate it. Um, and then I get the kids up, get them to school, and then I like to start my workday by doing like we call it like your frog task, the task that you always put off, like that you're dreading the most. So I always like pick my frog for the day and just get it done. And then I switched to I used to go to the gym early, but I really hated it. I hated running fasted and feeling like I I didn't have enough energy for my workout. So I now work out after I do my frog task. I go, I work out, I get ready at the gym or at home where if I just run from home, and then I work a little bit more, and then the kids are home, and we are always running in 500 directions after school. For we're in the kid activity stage of life. Yeah. So we're doing that, and then yeah, usually we try to do like a board game or something before bed, and then I will put the house to sleep, closing shift. Um usually I try to do like a hot tub or something before bed. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

And that's it. I have a question.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 8:35

Do you think if you're not a morning person, you can become one? Or do you think that your body's just like no, and you're just gonna hate your life?

SPEAKER_02 8:44

I can get up in the morning and I enjoy that time by myself, but I still hate it. Like I can train my body to be a morning person, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna find joy in it. Like, I don't know if you really I value the the time by myself in the morning more than the inconvenience of getting up, but I still do not enjoy getting up in the morning. So I don't know. I am just not a morning person.

SPEAKER_03 9:08

I am rude. Okay, no. My husband gets up and starts singing. I uh will throat punch you. Stop it. I've got one girl that's the same as me, crew. She's like a bear in the morning, and then Swayze opens her eyes. Oh, good morning!

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Swayze and I get along really well. Oh, tell us about your typical day. My typical day starts at 5:45, and I get up and I have a bath, which probably sounds crazy to people because who has time for a bath in the morning, but I do. Um, yeah, so I have a bath and then I get ready and I'm out the door at about 7:40, if I'm lucky, 7:40. Uh I start work at 7:45. I love a luxury to live that close. Wow. Yeah, like a three-minute drive. And for some reason, I'm still at work at 7:47. And I'm supposed to be there at 7:45. I don't know why, but I do. Yeah. Um, and then yeah, so just morning at work. Um, and then I get lunch from 12:15 to 1. So come home and usually have like I'll have scrambled eggs and salsa is like my go-to lunch. Yep. Um, and then everyone knows I always like to come home for lunch, no matter what, after we've had lunch. Yeah, I do. I'm known for that. I need to come home, brush my teeth, wash my glasses, and touch up my makeup, and then I'm back to work. I'm ready for the afternoon. And I work until 4 15, but I usually don't leave work till 4:30. Um, come home. Actually, usually have to go to the grocery store, grab whatever for dinner, um, come home and start making dinner for everyone. Um, I get so excited for dinner because I get to see Kobe, because he doesn't live here anymore. So I get so excited when he walks through the door and he says, Hey mom. And uh, so we have supper together. And yeah, by like 6:30, we're usually done that, and he leaves and Maddie goes and does her thing if she's not working late. Um, and then by like honestly, 70. Oh, then I feel like I gotta clean. So I like clean, uh, do get the house organized and cleaned up, and then by like eight o'clock, I'm usually back in the tub because I'm a bather. Bath twice twice a day. Do you have a hot tub? We do, yes. And you don't find that on the weekends, we'll go in the hot tub. Yeah, but during no, because I need all my like basalts and all that fancy stuff.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

You're very like scheduled.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

I am very scheduled, yes, very much so. Um, yeah, so then have a bath, and I'm usually in bed by like 8 30. Oh, so you love my text messages at 10 30 every night. I'm sorry. No, girl, you could text me whenever, but you're not gonna get a response till the morning. My phone goes on silence at 10 o'clock. From 10 until 7, I think I have it set. It's on silent. Um, but yeah, go to bed and pray to God I get an optimal sleep with my ring. What's your sleep score? Uh, today it was 92. How?

SPEAKER_03 12:40

I cannot break a 50.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

What?

SPEAKER_03 12:42

Can not?

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 12:45

I'm even medicated and I can't don't matter.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

That would I'm like 42?

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Great, then better than 38.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Huh.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

It's wild.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Okay, so one of my coworkers, love her. She is not a morning per person, but our department, we're all morning people. Me, Char, Janaline, we are morning people. So when we walk in the office, we're like, good morning, like all of us, and Vanya, all of us are so happy. And you can just see the look in her eyes, like, go fuck yourself. But guess what? We still do the good morning. Like, oh yeah, we love it. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

At work, I'm like, oh, good morning. I don't mean it.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

I don't need that long. Like, yeah, honestly, 10 minutes by myself. I'm yeah, I'm better.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

Once I drop the girls off and they're not like play golden a hundred times, and I can listen to what I want to listen to, then I'm okay. Yeah, I need silence.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Yeah. Yeah. I need silence at nighttime. That's when I need silence. Yeah. Yeah.

unknown 13:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

But Josie, I'm laughing because I'm thinking in the morning, like you'll pull up and we'll be getting into my car, and I'm like, Josie, I'm hugging you. Here she is. Here she comes, all her chipperness in the morning. Oh God, I know. But yeah, nighttime, like after eight o'clock, I'm like, okay, I'm done. Yeah, I'm done. So that's for nine. Yeah. And yes, I'm the same. Yeah. And weekends are totally different, but very chill. Yeah. I don't have the littles to take care of like it was a chill weekend, like, oh, I need to. And it's honestly been kind of something I've had to get used to because we are used to running with the kids all the time. And uh yeah, now we're like that old couple that it's like, oh, should we go to Camrose today? In your back by noon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:43

Next question.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

We kind of answered how does your work life differ from your home life? Yeah. Yeah. I guess we've kind of answered that, hey? Yeah. Well, yours is different because you leave home for like a week at a time. So, what does your life look like on the road, I guess?

SPEAKER_02 15:05

Um, to be honest, it feels really unbalanced. It's a struggle. Here comes guys. I'm gonna cry.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Um it's literally impossible, and it's a myth that things are balanced. I have that written down.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

The kids we're all just trying our best.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

I love being creative and I love talking with business owners, and like I love when I I really look forward to my work out of the home. But my kids cry every time I leave. And it's like I don't know, when they were little and it was crying, it was a lot easier to be like, oh, they're fine. Yeah, you know, but now that they're like old and they can say, like, mom, why are you going again? Yeah, it's a lot harder. It's a lot harder to um to be okay with it.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

And but you're such a like a pillar in your household. Like, I've never seen a mom be a mom the way that you are. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

No wonder they miss you, but yeah, we just we have we work so well together, all of us. And so yeah, I I feel unbalanced, and like my routine is obviously like I eat differently, I I sleep differently, everything when I'm here. I'm really thankful that I can stay at my parents' house, but it's different, and then I think they they all also feel that. Um and it's hard, it's hard to parent, like for Sean. Like, it's hard to parent on your own, and we have a lot of activities, and uh, it's often like we are splitting up, so he like we have to drop, he would have to drop one kid off early, and then you know, it's a lot of navigating and then um yeah, there's a lot of guilt, there's a lot of guilt there, and um yeah, it's it's a challenge, but it's also very rewarding, and I remind myself that they see that I'm building a business, and they're equally as proud as have I ever told you the story about Emmy and the boss. No, yeah, so Em had a project at school, and they were talking about like businesses and whatnot, and they're asking, What do your what do your parents do? And so she said, Oh my mom makes movies. And the teacher said, Oh, so who does she work for? And she says, My mom is the boss. And I'm like, Yeah, so like the fact that they see that you know, you can be a boss, you can is is valuable as well.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

And you have to remember every other mom is working too. And I have to remind myself that like when my work gets busy, I have to go back full time, and then I'm so like I had to send my schedule in for April, and I'm like, oh, my girls are gonna hate me so much because they're gonna be in daycare almost every single day till like almost 6 p.m. Because we're the traveling, and I roll up and they're the last two there, and all every time I am like, oh, these poor girls and these poor workers that are like, holy, get your ass here and get your kids so we can go home to our families.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Like it's just but I feel like it teaches the kids to be more resilient, and that I don't mom isn't always going to be here, yeah, and teaches them how to be independent. Like what you guys are doing is amazing, and moms that stay home, I think that's wonderful too. I could, I couldn't. There's no way I could have been a stay-at-home mom. I needed to go out and do what I needed to do for me, because then I was a better mom. Um, but I don't know, like your kids are gonna see you working so hard and doing it, and they're gonna be, I don't know, you're giving them the tools that they need to be successful later on, idling. Yeah, what you're doing.

SPEAKER_03 19:03

So no one can ever take away your mom guilt, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

I know it's a really like I would have it sitting like when I wasn't working as much, I'd have it at home too. Like because I wasn't showing up the way I wanted to, because I felt like a skeleton, like I just I wasn't there yet.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

So yeah, it's all about balance, yeah, and you're killing it, yeah, you're doing so good.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

Yeah, from the outside looking in, you're oh well, yeah, doing it.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

And how about you, Tess? Do you I guess you kind of talked about what your home days are like.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

My home life is just like because we live on a feedlot and a farm, so it's just we work 365 days of the year, so I don't really can't relate to having just a day where it's like, oh, let's just go and do something. Well, we have to pre-plan and we have to make sure that Nevin's dad's gonna be there, or his brother-in-law's gonna be there, or it's almost like you still have to ask permission. Like, can my husband and I go get groceries? And that's just the way it is, and that's fine. It's a lifestyle, it's very different. Yeah, and it's yeah, there's never been a Sunday where Nevin's just like stayed home and oh, we're gonna declutter this this weekend, or we're gonna work on the yard this weekend. It's very much if I wanna do it, I have to do it myself, or if I want to wait 600 years, then we could do it.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

And was that something from the time you married got married and were living together? Did you have that mindset back then? Or was that something you had to tell, teach yourself or tell yourself?

SPEAKER_03 20:44

You have to get used to it. Um, like now I think nothing of going by myself everywhere. Like I do, I just go by myself everywhere, and it's fine. I like to be by myself. So it's no big deal. But it there is some times when I'm like, oh, I just wish I had someone to go to lunch with because me like hunched over like a troll eating in my car is kind of one day I'll get the confidence to sit in a restaurant by myself. But as of right now, I don't have it.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Okay, so next question is what season of life are we in?

SPEAKER_00 21:16

I I would I was gonna say the best season, but no, it's I all the seasons are wonderful, but I'm in such a different season of life. Like it's so much quieter now. And even though like I still the best parts of my day is when my kids walk through the door. Um I'm also okay to like live for me now, like focus more on me and learning what fills my cup or embracing what fills my cup, I guess. Because I've always known what I love, but I just didn't really make the time for it. Um so it yeah, it's quite. Quiet. It's slow and I kind of I love that. I love it. But I also look forward to like when it gets busy again, and I have grandkids running around the house, and I really am excited for that. But yeah, life has really changed. My weekends from running all over for hockey or in the spring now, we'd be starting with dance festivals. Um that's over, and I'm just enjoying the quiet. And we went out for a sled ride a couple weekends ago, and it was just like, oh yeah, okay, yeah, we can just go. We can just go do whatever we want. Um, so yeah, I love it. I love that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:42

Look forward to that one day. We won't ever have that because we'll be farming till we die. But yeah, my season of life is my girls are little, they really need me still, even though Crew doesn't like to admit it. But you know, she's an independent queen. Yeah, she is yoke. I know. Yeah. Her eye rolls. I'm like, I can't even be mad. Yeah, karma. Yeah. But yeah, I'm trying to let go a little bit of the control. Like, she's older now, she wants to wear what she wants to wear, she wants to do her hair. This morning she did a full beat of makeup as I was doing mine, and I'm like, you do you. Because she is like, I am going to a bowl sale with my dad this morning. Oh. Or this afternoon. So she had her snacks packed, her water bottle packed, she picked an outfit, she did her makeup, and she's ready. And she's like, Yeah, I'm going to this bowl sale, and I look fine as hell. So I love that for you. Yeah. But yeah, we're we're kind of fighting for our life and even, you know, if I'm being honest, but that's okay too. And I don't, I truly don't think balance exists. I think that's not true. So, and that's okay. We're all just doing our best. So, yeah.

unknown 24:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

You uh honestly, I am, I think I'll look back at this time and see it as like the season of change.

SPEAKER_04 24:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

Um, you know, in my 20s and when my kids were young, it was we just have to we have to do what we have to do. We have to work this much. I have to, you know, um, and we're not there anymore. And there's a lot going on behind the scenes that will change how we live. And and um, yeah, we're just trying to figure out what makes us happy and realizing that we could either stay comfortable or we could stay be happy, and sometimes that means change. And so there's a lot, yeah, a lot going on behind the scenes that I cannot share yet, but one day we will share.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

And um yeah, I love watching your life, and like you have so many different seasons, like more than the average person, I think.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Because we have a season with every freaking house we buy.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

But I love that I can kind of like, oh Josie's in this season, I'll be in that season soon. That's what I have to look forward to. Yes, but you had babies way before me. So it was something I could kind of like watch. I'm like, oh, Josie could do it. Yeah, I can do it.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

Yeah, like so. My youngest was in is in grade one this year, and it just was like a switch, and not in a bad way, but like they're they, you know, like you're you feel like you're drowning and keeping these children alive. You don't feel that way anymore, and it's gosh, it's fun. Yeah, yeah, it's really fun.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

So a couple weekends ago, we went and watched Maddie's boyfriend play hockey in Stettler, and we went in between periods to get a hot chocolate, and there was a group of young boys just standing there, like talking, and I had like I got emotional because I'm never gonna have that again with Kobe. Like, I miss so when you guys are talking about I know right now it seems so crazy, yeah, but I promise you there's gonna be a moment that you look back that you are gonna miss that. Like when I say I am so thankful that Kobe wants to come home every day to have supper. Because I don't know if I can like if I go three days without seeing him, I'm like, oh my god. So great, yeah, it's ridiculous, I know, but just if you can, when you're feeling crazy, just know that it's such an amazing time to be with them. Because before you know it, I'm it's that's over for me. It's it's and that I'm gonna get optional. But it's over. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

I'm so scared that like crew's gonna grow up and she's not gonna want to call me to talk about her day. I'm like, am I being too strict? Is she not gonna wanna like find that comfort in me?

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Oh, she's gonna be calling you, girl.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

I hope so.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Yes, yes. I reach out to my kids every day, no matter what. Say goodnight, love you.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Yeah, I'm like, what's your secret?

SPEAKER_00 27:21

No, no, but what I went the first thing, like Kobe on a I'll get a call from him nine o'clock on a Saturday morning to like let me know what's if something happened that night before. I'm his first call, but yet he wouldn't just text me to say, like, hey mom, how you doing? Right?

SPEAKER_02 27:39

That's boys, yes, right? Yes, but oh god, yeah, girl, they will but what do you think because you and Mad have such a close relationship, and that's not the case, like it had to be something you did. Okay, now I'm gonna get emotional.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

All we're gonna do is cry on this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

My sister has laughed with my kids, like, oh, your mom's a cancer, like I love so deeply, and my kids maybe almost get annoyed with how much I love them and admire them. But at the end of the day, even though they might not say to me that they're so thankful for the love, I know that they they respect you, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Yeah, and like not in like a respect the queen kind of way, but like a friend way, yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

But the thing you guys need to know about me and Maddie, and Dennis laughs about this all the time in high school. Yes, it was oh, it was so rough. Grade nine, oh my god, I tell her karma is coming back to bite you in the ass. Yeah, but she is so amazing now. I'm like, oh, we got through it and you're just the best. But Maddie and I, we can, and my girlfriend Vanya, she laughs about this because the first time it happened, we could snap at each other and like be so mad. And like two minutes later, Maddie will be like, So what do you think we should have for dinner? Like, yeah, we just get over it. It's like we fight, we say our piece, and then we can get over it and move on.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

Honestly. That's how Sean and I am. Actually, I'm you. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I don't know. I feel like that's when you know you have true friendship. You're just like, how easy to use? Just say it. Yes, yeah, move on.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

Yeah. Well, like when we would shoot weddings, you and I, and we we would each have our moment, and then we're just like, we're gonna walk to the opposite side of the room, we'll come back, we're fine.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

It's over the hours, we're going home. Yeah. Because I did cut it off. She like has her camera bag packed up. It's time to go.

SPEAKER_03 29:46

Okay, but I just want to get this picture out to the fucking card. McDonald's is calling us.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Oh, okay. Well, if nothing else, we have video evidence. When our children are older, please love us.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Please come home to us. They will. And you guys, you know how many nights I went to bed when I was in the stage you're in, thinking like I am the worst mom. Like, all I did today was I yelled at those kids. That's me.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

I'm like, all I do is I know.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

Yep. And you're trying to raise good humans, kind, right?

SPEAKER_03 30:21

And I'm like, why did you punch your sister in the head? Like we've talked about this.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

We've talked about this. Yes. And I'm gonna guess that was Swayze.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

But then in the back of my mind, I'm like, yeah, but she was in your face quite a bit.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

Right.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

I might have too.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Yes. Yeah, we're doing it because we love them. Everything we do is because we love them more than anything on this planet. And yeah, just you guys are amazing. All right. Well, this is actually great timing because it is when life feels overwhelming. How do you reset or ground yourself?

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Um, for me, it's two things. Um obviously movement, running, but honestly, when I'm really overwhelmed and just exhausted, it's rest. I I don't slow down a lot, and so shutting my phone off and just not doing anything. I actually move my rest days to Sunday, and I'll typically shut my phone off for most of the day. I learned that from Derek Graff actually in our podcast. And it's really, really helped just shutting it off and doing nothing for bed.

SPEAKER_03 31:36

I I need to work on this. Maybe I need to go to therapy, I don't know. But I I cannot turn my phone off, and I cannot sit there and do nothing without feeling an immense amount of guilt. So, like, I to reset and like ground myself, I have to clean my entire house to in order to feel good about myself almost. And then when I have a clean space, I have a clear mind. And then maybe I could sit and enjoy a quick half an hour show. I'll send the girls out to the garage to play. We'll imagine that they just played without screaming at each other and fighting, and then yeah, watch a quick show. Or honestly, I've been finding a lot of joy in just my silly little Instagram videos. And yes, I love that. I don't know. It's just nice to talk to some like-minded people sometimes, like or get a message like, oh, what's your lip combo? I would love nothing more than to tell you. Or like search Pinterest for a fun outfit. Oh, what do I have in my closet that I can recreate for tomorrow? And then that brings me so much joy, and then I'm looking forward to tomorrow as well.

SPEAKER_00 32:49

I actually, this is gonna sound ridiculous because I used to get overwhelmed all the time. So I don't know if it's just a different way of me living or if it's a stage of my life, but I I don't really get overwhelmed anymore.

SPEAKER_03 33:03

Or you're a season.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Do I does that sound ridiculous, Joe?

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Are you like, yeah, you like sitting there looking at me like our work lives overlap a lot.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

I know what your schedule is, and I know what my schedule is. And are you kidding me? Can we rewind to October?

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Oh, October's overwhelming. But Chelsea, all I have to do is like organize things, right? You're like the creative doing all that creative work. I'm just like throwing ideas at you. Like today when I'm like, let's record some intros and outros. And you're like, and what would you like to do with that? Like you have to do all the implementing my ideas. I'm the ideas girl. No, sorry. It's just an idea. Do something with it. Um, so yes, October definitely can be overwhelming, but uh I feel like you're really good at being like work is work, though. Yeah, work is work, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

And when I get home, I uh I sound selfish, but I do a lot of things to make me happy.

SPEAKER_03 34:17

There's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Yeah. Yeah. Like my two baths a day.

SPEAKER_03 34:21

Yeah, that's fun.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

Um, my watching Housewives of Beverly Hills. Like on Sunday mornings, I pour my coffee and I'm in bed watching Housewives of Beverly Hills. Shout out to Rachel Zoe. Love you so much.

SPEAKER_03 34:35

My turn to ask a question. Yeah. Oh shit, sorry.

SPEAKER_04 34:39

It's okay.

unknown 34:40

It's a challenge.

SPEAKER_03 34:41

Oh, so what's a challenge that shaped who you are today?

SPEAKER_02 34:48

I don't know how to answer this one. Um, I would just say, like when my kids were younger, kind of the season you were in now, I really had to redefine what being a mom looked like for me. We've we've talked a lot about it today, but um it was really hard for me to become a working mom and like dive fully into my business. I struggled a lot with that. Um I I really fell into the narrative that to be a good mom, I should want to be at home and that they they do come first. I mean, I would I would argue that by me going to work, I am putting them first. Um, but that like my life and my aspirations and my goals stopped when I became a mom. Yeah, I mean, I the the moms who are at home, I look up to them like crazy.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

I like their brains are wired, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:45

But that's just not me.

SPEAKER_03 35:47

Um yeah, yeah, they are like it takes a special person to be a nurse, it takes a special person to be a stay-at-home mom. 100%, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

Yeah, and just being allowing me to like kind of redefine my identity in that way. Um that's that's huge.

SPEAKER_03 36:07

Yeah, I it's almost the same thing for me, I would say. That's right now is my biggest challenge. It was like, but even before Nevin and I got married, like I knew living in the country in the middle of nowhere was gonna be my life for the rest of my life. So it was like, I was like panicking and grasping at straws, trying to find something that would make me happy and like find myself while still being out there. Because like I'm I'm not a farmer's wife, I'm the exact opposite. Like, unless he needs my help out there, you ain't gonna be finding me out there riding a fucking horse. Absolutely not, yeah, like never so I had to be okay that I am very I'm so different than anybody else that I've surrounded myself with, kind of, and and that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:03

So but do you know what I love about that is you stayed true to yourself because sometimes I wonder how many women live their lives. I know these women they live their lives for their husbands, what their husbands do, what their families want them to be or do. I did that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

I followed Sean around from city to city. Yeah, I stopped my education, yeah, I followed him. He was the breadwinner. I will, and I I woke up one day, I can remember clear as day. I had Jax was in his high chair and I was nursing COIN and I was just sobbing. Like, this, why? Why do I have to stop everything?

SPEAKER_00 37:46

Sacrifice what your dreams are.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

No, like it's just and can you imagine wanting that for your daughters? No. Okay, like your life doesn't stop the moment you push a baby out.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

So anyone that is listening or watching this podcast, go and do what you what makes you happy. It doesn't make you any less of a person. I think you you'll be happier, you'll be a better wife, you'll be a better friend, you'll be a better mother. Um do it for for you and everyone in your life. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:17

I will never forget, like after Crew was born, it was such just like a a change that I've and I didn't know how to handle it really. Like the constant mental load I didn't understand and didn't know how to handle it, and it just pissed me off when Devin was like, Kate, see ya, and I'm like, Oh, how nice. You didn't have to worry about diapers, feeding schedule, anything. And I had so much resentment, and I remember he walked in one day, he's like, Why do you resent me so much? Like, well, actually, A, B, C, D, E, F, G. But it's there's a lot of growing pains when it comes to that. Like, their lives don't change near as much as ours do.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Still, they do, but this might sound like I'm defending them. No. I never said, um, like I would never say, like, I need your help. Like, I need I just thought this is my role. So that's good that you were able to say that to Nevin. Yeah. I just never did. I just, but I carried a lot of resentment. Yeah. Because it was like he was working, and I'm like, okay, this is my job. Yeah, this is what mom does. Like, and I I make it sound like I hated it, but you are doing, I was doing the baths and I was doing the bedtimes, and holy cow, the mental load. We need this, and we need that, and they had this school project due, and I gotta pull this shirt out for them.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:38

Elf on the shelf.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

Thank fuck that wasn't around when I was a mom because I wouldn't have done it, and my kids would have been like it's theme day tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03 39:46

Like, theme days can kiss my ass. Oh yeah. I don't know why they exist. So, like, back to when I Nevin asked me why I'm resenting him so much, and I told him all the reasons. So then he's been really, really good at when he leaves in the morning, he's like, What do you need from me before I leave? Is there anything I can help you with? Like, why am I crying so much? Yeah, like I'm just grateful that he's changed all the shitty diapers. He he's on the daycare chat, so like he knows what's going on, and like he can if I'm just like so at zero, and he can see, like, I get dead in the eyes. And he goes, he's like, I can see that you need to. He always says to me, Do you need a moment? But then he's like, just go to the bedroom for 15 minutes by yourself. Like, I got it. And I'm so grateful because I can leave and come today, and I will literally not have one single text message from him asking what the girls need. Yeah, he knows. Like when the girls were babies and he he was like, How do I do this? How do I do that? And my answer is like, I don't know. I don't know either. So you need to learn just as much as I need to learn, and that was the best thing because he's yeah, a really good He's a really good dad and a really good husband. He's a good teammate. I'm so grateful. But yeah, if you just quit singing all the time, that really pisses me off. Okay, should we rapid fire?

SPEAKER_02 41:33

Yes, okay, rapid fire question. Okay, okay, Carrie.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

All right, give it to me. What's your dream job? Oh my dream job would be flipping houses and having a show. Uh most use used emoji right now.

SPEAKER_03 41:56

The heart, the red heart. Red heart. I love biggest irrational fear.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

Pass. What's something on your bucket list? Oh, going to visit um Magnolia in Texas.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

Well, let's make it happen.

SPEAKER_00 42:19

Yeah. Um favorite article of clothing like your most worn thing. Oh, you know what? I have to pass because I don't have a favorite. Okay, nope. Uh favorite form of exercise? Walking. Love a good walk. Makeup or skincare product that you can't live without. You can only pick one. Okay. Dior stick foundation. Love it. Okay, love it.

SPEAKER_03 42:47

Ready?

SPEAKER_00 42:47

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 42:48

If you can read it. I got it. Okay, ready? Dream job. Uh something in fashion, like a stylist or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 42:57

Um, most used emoji.

SPEAKER_03 42:59

Uh, mine right now is like the melting face. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:04

Okay, irrational fear.

SPEAKER_03 43:06

Uh, deep water, sharks, the ocean. No. You will never catch me on a cruise.

SPEAKER_01 43:12

Oh, bucket list.

SPEAKER_03 43:14

I really want to do like a road trip to the States and do like Target, home goods, Texas Roadhouse. I really want them rolls. And Bucky's. Oh, I want to go to Buckys. What's Bucky's? Oh, it's like a glorified gas station. It's got literally everything. It's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 43:33

I've never heard of it. Wow, okay. Uh, most worn article of clothing.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

My leather jacket from Aritzia, my brown leather jacket. Yes, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 43:42

Uh, favorite form of exercise.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

Uh, weightlifting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:48

Um for skincare.

SPEAKER_03 43:52

I think I have to go. I can't live without a moisturizer, I think. Yeah. Yeah, okay. You asked a jealousy. I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_02 44:05

Green job. Something in the helping like a psychologist.

unknown 44:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:10

Yeah. Most use emoji. Probably like the laughing, smiling guy. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:17

Biggest irrational fear.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

Driving away from the gas pump with the gas thing still in the vehicle. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

Something on your bucket list.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

To do nine magnetic. We'll do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:35

Um article of clothing.

SPEAKER_02 44:39

Um, my garment watch. Does that count? Yes. Yeah. It's probably another. It is. It really is.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

This is gonna be a tough one for you. Favorite form of exercise.

SPEAKER_02 44:50

Honestly, it's probably yoga. I really, really like yoga. But I I like running too. You know what I mean? It's tough. Yeah, I enjoy yoga though.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

Makeup or skincare product, you can't be without.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

I'm the same, a moisturizer. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Well, hopefully everybody feels like they know us a little bit more. So we're after. Oh my gosh, we were all over the place today. At least I wasn't the only one crying this time.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

We talk about kids and it just yeah, tugs at our hearts. Yeah. But um, yeah, thank you for following along on this journey with us. Um, it's been a ride and I am loving it so much, you guys. It's really filling my cup. Honestly, there's no two other people that I'd want to do this with. So thank you. Thank you for asking us, honestly. I'm so excited for where we go with it. It is time for our Lux list, which is when we share our favorite products with you. Um, this time I have a shampoo and conditioner that I have been using. It's by L'Oreal and it's the Metal Detox. Um, so here's the shampoo, here's the conditioner. I love a shampoo that when I have it in my hair, I can still like run my fingers through it, and it when I rinse it out, my hair still feels kind of soft. This does that. I usually do two washes, um, and afterwards it doesn't feel really dry, and the smell is like amazing. And then the conditioner, as soon as you put it in your hair, you can slide your fingers through it, and I love that. I hate getting out of the shower after I've rinsed out a conditioner, and my hair is tangled. With this, it's not tangled, it's amazing. And I have been using this exfoliator from Rocky Mountain Soap Company now for probably three weeks. Um, I use it twice a week, and after I use it, my skin feels like a baby's ass. And this smell if smells like you are at a spa. It's just dry, and I use it um once a week.

SPEAKER_03 47:19

My items for this time around. The first one is a new perfume I got, and it's turned out to be my new favorite. So it's by the Seven Virtues, and I believe this is a Canadian company, even all natural ingredients, and it's their new scent called strawberry jam. Now I'm not a jam lover, so I didn't think I was gonna like this at all, but it is amazing, it's perfectly sweet, and then the dry down is really warm, so I it's perfect for spring-summer fragrance, and the lasting power is good, it's got some vanilla, jasmine in there. It's amazing. I've gotten compliments every time I've worn it, so that's how you know it's good. The next thing I have is called the Manicurist. Um, now I came across this because I took my gel nails off and I just wanted to give my nails some time to breathe and kind of regenerate themselves a little bit. So you know how they're all damaged and stuff afterwards. I found this stuff online and it had rave reviews. Um, I'll read the back a little bit. So they they say that it's like makeup for your nails. So it's enriched with eat extract, hexan, hexanol, active shine, illuminates and strengthens nails. So this one is called the Active Shine, and it's pearly finish gives nails a real boost of radiance. So this one is my favorite. I have active bright, active plump, and then the shine one, but the shine one just gives like the most beautiful effect on your nails, and everybody says it's like the perfect clean girl nail, and it's so simple. I put on two coats, I'll just keep it by my bedside. Um, two coats, and it wears honestly for at least seven days. It's amazing. I love it so much, and my nails honestly have never been stronger.

SPEAKER_02 49:06

So we're all getting cool. Okay, so for my luxe finds this this time, we invested in a new coffee maker. Um, I think we've had like every coffee maker up there from Keurig to Breville. Um, and this time we got the it's either DeLong or DeLongy Um automatic coffee maker, so it was a big investment. But since moving to the city, we found that we were going out for coffee a lot. So we got this automatic one, so we can't blame it on time or rushing out of the door. Um, and it's been great. I love it. I love that I can wake up and it's literally a push of a button for an Americano, and yeah, we've been really enjoying it. And then next is something that I never thought I would be sharing as anything to do with me or my lifestyle. Um, but the gym I recently switched to has a sauna, and I was finding that I wanted to like take my phone in the sauna and scroll after a workout, and I was trying to avoid that. So I started doing Peloton meditations, which makes my skin curl. Um, like I hate being along with my thoughts. I will like play podcasts while I blow dry my hair. I'm often not in silence, and so yeah, it's been really good, and the instructors are wonderful. Someone I really admire is Shirley Damberger at Home of Well Being, and she meditates every day, she has for years, and I thought I should learn a lesson from her, and I am here to say that it works, and it's um yeah.