Life Lately

There’s really no other way to slice this one. The month of April was a rocky period for us both. Job stuff. Relationship stuff. Spring sickness. The last few weeks have been nothing short of brutal for team LL. Candidly, it made it really hard to record (hence our brief radio silence). But when we came out on the other side, we realized we weren’t alone. Whether Mercury is in retrograde or not, we all go through periods where life simply sucks. Shit hits the fan in more ways than one and you find yourself barely slogging through the day-to-day. While we’d love to think we’ll never suffer such low periods again, they’re inevitable. So, we came up with a strategic list – an eight-step process, if you will – of how to cope with these periods when they strike. We think you’ll love this episode if you’ve been going through a rough patch or feeling inexplicably low lately, and are in need of some hard and fast tips to help put your heart, mind, and body back in order. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

At the foundation of how we eat and think about food, after years of trial and error, we keep coming back to two really simple guidelines: eat whole, unprocessed foods from reliable sources; and — if you haven't figured it out already — there is no better way to treat yourself like gold than to up your veggie game. Simple, right? Wrong. Even though we feel like we've decoded some of the big diet trends, we are bombarded with so much information about what to eat every day. We still had burning questions. So, we enlisted the help of Miranda Hammer from the clean-eating, healthy-living blog Crunchy Radish. Aside from being totally delightful and a fabulous food photographer, Miranda is a registered dietitian and natural foods chef with a background in clinical nutrition. Her focus is on creating delicious and nutritious plant-based recipes but overall, she is a wealth of information on all things nutrition. She was kind enough to let us pick her brain for over an hour! Like us, she believes there is no single food blueprint that works for everyone: you have to find what works for you and your body. We think you'll love this episode if you're looking to cut through all the nutrition noise about some of the taboo topics (soy, dairy, fats, carbs) and simply get more vegetables onto your plate throughout the day. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Do you ever wonder how you will juggle a thriving career and the addition of a baby at the same time? Are you struggling to move past an ex even though you know it's probably time? Do you lose yourself so far in self-help content that you lose sight of what you are trying to accomplish in the first place? Since we first dreamed of starting this podcast we always hoped to do some advice episodes. Enter #AskLifeLately. A simple Q and A format in which we answer real questions from actual LL listeners. Our aim is to leverage our own life experience to lend some perspective to whatever is on the minds of our dear listeners. We think you'll love this episode of you are considering kids, moving past an ex or looking to keep a clear head on your personal development path. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Have you ever traveled alone? Like, taken a trip all by yourself with no other agenda than hanging out alone and soaking up all the sun and the sights? Me neither. (This is Brooke.) That is not to say that I would never do it, I just haven't done it yet. It would put me so far out of my comfort zone. I guess that's the point, right? In the spring of 2015, Clara took a 10-day trip to France and spent nearly a week on her own in Provence. She was in search of everything and nothing. Overall, she wanted to get some much-needed perspective on her own life. So, she took the trip, pushed the limits of her comfort zone, kept her eyes and her heart wide open. When she got back, her needle had shifted. Part of it was that she had completely unplugged, but it ran deeper than that. It seemed as though she'd unblocked some things. Ironed out some wrinkles. Most of all though, she'd leaned into love. We think you'll love this episode if you're in the midst of any sort of emotional healing or seeking and are looking for motivation to get to know yourself fully – be it through a trip or any kind of alone time. It's also, of course, helpful if you're planning or considering planning a trip by yourself. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Loneliness is a funny thing. Time and time again, we’ve found that the deepest pangs of loneliness strike us when we’re not actually alone. It creeps up on you in those moments where your life feels overwhelming full. Things are going great at work, relationships are humming along, social calendars are jammed – and yet, we feel a gnawing, the kind of loneliness that sits like a pit in your stomach. Life is so busy yet it feels like something is missing. You can’t quite put your finger on what it is and you start "shoulding" all over yourself because you should be happy. But you're not. For no other reason than you feel alone. We call this The Loneliness Paradox and we're digging into it in this week’s episode. To really go deep on this topic, we felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring on our first Life Lately guest! Joining us in this week’s episode is Harper Spero, an NYC based life coach. Together, the three of us talk about how to combat loneliness regardless of your life situation (married, single, roommates, etc.), how to maximize your alone time to best serve you, and lastly, Harper's five steps for building a community that aligns with your values. We think you’ll love this episode if you’ve ever grappled with feelings of loneliness (in any form) and are looking for coping mechanisms as well as guidance on how to develop a meaningful community of your own. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Oh, heeeeey spring! We imagine you guys, like us, are beyond ready to bid adieu to winter and start to springify your lives (yep, that's an official verb). So, this week, we decided to keep it extra light and have an easy, breezy conversation about all things spring. We think you'll love this episode if you want to get some fresh ideas for brightening up your mind, body and home as we welcome the new season. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Have you ever put on your fitness clothes, or sat down to read a book or started to get ready for bed and picked your head up 30 minutes later, only to realize you just fell down an Instagram rabbit hole? Us too. Us. Too. It's not just the wasted time that kills us, though. It's the guilt and shame that comes with spending too much time on devices, the comparison traps we inevitably fall into on social media, the loneliness...the list goes on. We were each fortunate to take a short spring break trip at the beginning of March. We challenged ourselves to use that time to truly unplug and we both made a concerted effort to leave our phones out of arm's reach. While vacation is a natural period to take a step back, the experience brought about some revelations for us around digital detoxing in our everyday lives. With that notion in mind, we created an easy 5-step strategy to break up with your phone (or any device) and make unplugging regularly a reality. We think you’ll love this episode if you're feeling to tethered to your phone (and can't for the life of you stop scrolling through Instagram) and are looking for some straightforward tips about how to lessen your digital reliance – be it to your phone, Facebook, blogs, or TV. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Have you ever walked by a med-spa and thought "Is laser hair removal really worth it?" Or have you ever felt a pain in your neck and back and thought "Should I see a chiropractor?" We have, and we've done it (among other things). But when it comes to procedures that hover in the wellness/beauty realm, it's often really hard to tell what works for you and what's worth it. That's what we dive into in this week's episode, covering laser hair removal and chiropractic, as well as acupuncture, waxing, and facials. And some of the questions that go along with how you decide what's worth it for you. We think you’ll love this episode if you're curious about some of these treatments, or are already exploring them, and trying to figure out if the benefits align with your needs. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

By now, we’re hoping you feel like you know us pretty well. Which means, you’re probably keenly aware of the fact that we tend to skew on the deep side of conversation. So, to keep it real and off the cuff, here’s another mini-episode in which we simply check in with each other on three little questions. We thought this would be a great way to wrap up our first eleven episodes before taking a little spring break. In a few weeks, we’ll be back with some all new content for our “spring season.” As always, we think you’ll love this if you’re in need of a quick break, whether it’s a few minutes away from your desk, or a morning pick-me-up. Plus, it’ll give you some good questions to ask your friends the next time you hang out. In this episode, we ask each other: What are you most looking forward to right now? What is one little thing you can’t live without? What’s is your greatest lesson learned from starting this podcast? [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Here's one thing we know to be true: there is no universal road map for navigating a long-term relationship. From keeping the sex spark alive, to solid communication, to finding ways to evolve together, you have to find what works for you. That said, based on the amazing feedback we got on last week's dating episode, we decided to leverage our long-term relationships experience and do a deeper dive in that area. While we only represent two opinions, we've got over 25 years experience between the two of us. We think you’ll love this episode if you are in a long-term relationship or aspiring to be and are looking for insights on what it takes to make love last for the long haul. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

We know, we know, everyone looooooves to hate on Valentine's Day. We'd say we get it but, in reality, both of us were super fortunate to grow up in households that treated V-Day as a sweet time to honor the ones you love. It was more about spending time with family and exchanging fun little gifts (and candy, don't forget the candy!) rather than romance. Regardless of how you feel about it all, with February 14th right around the corner, we thought we'd take this opportunity to do a deep dive into the crazy world of modern dating. Clara, herself, is deep into dating as a 30-year-old single female living in New York City. Brooke comes armed with nearly twenty years of relationship experience, and a perspective around building relationships that doesn't run rampant with apps and texting. A bit of a warning: get ready for some real talk and tough love. We think you'll love this episode if you're looking to hear what it takes to date in the modern world, how to do so with courage and grace, and, most importantly, protect your heart in the process. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

We write this while looking out at several feet of snow, in Arlington and Brooklyn, respectively. Ok winter, we get it! You're here. And while we're all about huddling up inside getting our cozy on, we're also feeling the winter blues start to creep in. Juuuust a little bit. So, in an effort to not let winter drag us down, we decided to grab a cup of tea and chat about a winter survival guide of sorts. We think you’ll love this episode if you’re looking to get proactive about the winter blues and actively relish in the best parts of season – the cozy clothes, the delicious comfort food...all that good stuff! [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

We believe everyone has an idea that is gnawing at their insides. You know the one. Maybe it’s a book you want to write, a trip you want to take, a get-in-shape regimen you want to start or, perhaps you’re starting to think about a graceful transition out of your current employment situation. Chances are, if you have a big idea, you spend a fair amount of time thinking and talking about how you are going to execute that idea…."one day.” Well, what if “one day” is now? Right now. What if you stopped waiting for things to start and just got out of your own way? How will you get started? Who can help you? Where will you find the time? Ahhhhh! Look, we get it. Beginning anything is not easy. Ask yourself those questions and you’re bound to feel your pulse quicken. Add in the fear of failure and all the regular pressures of the world, and no one will fault you for crawling back in bed, hitting the snooze button and mumbling “I'll start tomorrow.” But, not this time. Nope. This time, it's GO time. We think you'll love this episode if you're looking for some tried-and-true hacks for getting your idea off the ground. And the best part? They're easy. You can start right away. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

[Production note: In this episode we're working through a free download from our website. You'll likely enjoy the show a bit more with the workbook in hand. You can grab it at LifeLately.com.] Ok, people, it’s a new year and everyone’s all “I gotta change my whole person!” But we’re here to tell you, no…no, you don’t. You are one hell of a person already. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. When it comes to setting your intentions for the year ahead, we believe it's really important to, first, take a step back and evaluate the previous year. Doing so helps to bring some core areas of your life into focus and then you can begin to move forward through evolution, not a complete reinvention of self. Easier said than done, right? We've got your back. As we were getting really clear on why we were doing this podcast, we also had to get really clear on who and what mattered to us. What started as a casual brainstorm morphed into an epic conversation. That epic conversation gave way to our manifesto. Be it January 1st or December 31st, these are the affirmations and aspirations we live by. This is Life Lately at its core. Once we had that manifesto in our hot little hands, we realized it created the perfect framework for a workbook that would allow us (and you!) to chart the course for the life you want to live in 2016 and beyond. So we created just that and, again, you can access it right here. We think you'll love this episode if you’re looking to get really clear on who and what matters to you in 2016. We believe that when you get really clear on what matters in your life, you’ll have a much easier time charting a course for the life you want to live. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

What's the best meal you've eaten recently? What's on your nightstand? What's one thing you're obsessed with right now. Don't you love those kind of convos with your besties? We do too! And while we have a tendency to go a little deep in conversation, we love to wax on about the everyday life, too. In an effort to lighten things up a bit around here and help you get to know us on a more material level, we created a mini episode in which we check in with each other on three little questions. We think you'll love this if you're in need of a quick break, whether it's 10 minutes away from your desk, or a morning pick-me-up. Plus, it'll give you some good questions to ask your friends the next time you hang out. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

One thing you need to know about us is that, from the outside looking in, our lives are extremely different. Extremely is almost an understatement. But despite the differences in our age, geography, and day-to-day lives, we manage to maintain one of the deepest friendships either of us has ever experienced. Part of that has to do with the fact that we just get each other (we're sure you have a friend like that). But it's also because we're both still interested in what it takes to find and foster real friendship. That said, as we get deeper into our thirties, maintaining friendships and developing new ones becomes much harder. Throw significant others, technology, babies, big jobs, errands, exercise, and everything else into the mix, and nurturing our friendships can easily fall by the wayside. But, we feel it's worth doing the work. Rock-solid friendships are crucial to overall well-being, perhaps even more so as we grow older. We think you'll love this if you're feeling overwhelmed by the obligations of friendships in our complex lives or you are simply looking to deepen connections and become the best friend you can be. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

What's your home like? Is it an apartment or a house? Do you rent? Own? Sublet? Is it your "forever home?" That last question is a big part of what we dive into in this episode. Neither of us lives in what we'd call our forever home. Though Brooke owns and Clara rents, we're both currently living in spaces where we are not likely to make major investments or grow old. We know we're not alone in this. And frankly, even if you do live in your forever home, you might face the same struggles, namely: how do you make your space and neighborhood feel like a home? Whether we're talking about six months, six years, or more. We've learned that what makes a home a home is not so much about the physical space but rather how you want to feel. Above all, we feel that the concept of "home" is a work in progress. We think you'll love this if you've been putting off officially settling into a space, whether it simply feels overwhelming or because you are "too busy" anticipating a change. [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

Here’s the thing you need to know about us: we are serial wellness junkies. It's probably good that we're getting this fact right out in the open from the get-go. We’re the people that make bone broth. We’re the people that do vegan detoxes, juice cleanses, Whole30s, and net out at "plant-based paleo." We love our yoga. We obsess over the quality (or lack) of our sleep. We take an array of supplements and have magnesium spray on hand. We look for xantham gum in ingredients lists. Seriously. We're those people. And, naturally, we’re super curious about meditation (you know you saw that one coming). So, while this episode was intended to be a more general conversation around getting our lives back on track post-summer 2015, we ended up seriously nerding out about our current, and ever-evolving wellness practices. We think you'll love this if you're looking to hit the reset button on your body, mind and life (after a lazy summer, in January, or any time of year for that matter). [Theme song: "Matchmaker" by Jason Meeks]

This is Life Lately, a podcast about living true to you. True friendship leaves a positive mark on all parts of your life. Life Lately captures the very real conversations between long-distance friends Brooke and Clara, two ever-evolving thirtysomethings navigating the complexities of everyday life. With equal parts rawness, humor and inspiration, we welcome you into our world as we dig deep into the crazy, amazing and challenging moments we call life. Though you may not be sitting side-by-side with us, we hope you’ll leave each episode feeling like you just caught up with your favorite friends: strong, valued and ready to take on the world. [Music c/o FMA]