Episode 25 🧡 Wrapping Up Season One with Kmart Love, Revelations, and a Cheers to Sobriety

Yeah , I get it . Um , hey , so guess what is pod number 25 ? Who would have thought I'd be at the 25th pod by October ? What I wish I could say the same about , like reading books , this is my 25th book of the year . No , but this is just going to be a cheeky wrap up pod , just because I am calling it end of season one .

And the reason why I'm doing this is because there is a few technical changes coming up and your girl never went to uni . She doesn't know how to study and , quite frankly , these changes mean that I have to take a hot minute to learn .

And I sort of took a little bit of a back seat and thought well , at the same time as changing a few things , because I believe Google podcast is becoming obsolete . I don't know what this means yet . I've got a couple of emails I haven't deep dove into it just because I've been busy .

However , I don't want to half ask anything and I feel like this is that time where I can take a wee break at the safe number number 25 . We're not piking out at number seven and actually just like take a bit of time to learn and grow and be better coming into season two , which I find is completely something that we can justify .

So I am calling this the end of season one and I'm a little bit like so proud of myself . I'm not even going to lie . I'm not sad about this . We have achieved so much . However , the support has definitely delivered most recently , and I have so many new topics to discuss and I am just ready for this .

So not only has my content creator and mentor just sort of you know , had a few tidbits on what I could do better . I want to embrace this because the pod you guys have been the OG since day dot , those that have stuck around , and I want to do this better .

So that doesn't just come with a really great soundboard , it actually comes with a bit of learning , and I want to take up the time to do this . So this is a shorter pod and I just wanted to sort of give you all an update . It was the first of October yesterday and I am going to have a little bit of a shout out to everyone .

Guys , it was Sunday I had this influx of Danny Dot messages on my Instagram for people that had changed their toothbrush . This warms the cockles . Oh my gosh .

Not only is like I feel like I should like reap the benefits here from Colgate toothbrushes or something , but the amount of you that actually like took on the whole change of month change of toothbrush scenario . I'm so proud of everyone . He has to clean mouths and bloody 2024 . No , I'm kidding , but that was really fun .

So , as I was the first of October and used new month , knew everything else and I think throughout this pod , I've sort of given a little bit of a brief insight as to having house refreshers and you know , change of seasons and blah , blah , blah , all the things that sort of settle in and make you all feel like new month , new me kind of vibe and this

toothbrush thing . It made me happy so I will touch on that . It is very exciting . Just quickly , the wine of the week .

Well , something I actually haven't even been vocal about on my own social media to my own friends and family is I am sober one month , tomorrow , one whole month , and I know that I wasn't going to fall off the wagon , because this time it was different . It wasn't something I planned to do , it was more for my health and well being .

Being on strange medication , I had to get a grip with some things and I can honestly say I've done it and it hasn't been hard . I've actually really enjoyed it and the way that I sort of see myself in achieving this was actually every time I reached to . You know , have cheese and crackers or something that you would pair with an alcohol beverage after work .

You know those wine , down wines . I would just have something really strange to drink , like kombucha or a smoothie , just weird substances in the drink form . And all of a sudden the month was over and so I have made the executive decision to not continue being sober , like you know , making it a thing I don't want to say to my mom .

Oh , you know , it's week five , it doesn't matter . Everything in moderation is the way I'm seeing it . I'm also coming off while I'm trying to come down , off some medication for my knee , so my wine of the week is actually I told you guys this a million times trust the timing of your life . And tomorrow I get my Terra Sancta wine box subscription delivered .

I feel it's only necessary to crack maybe the 2023 Rose essay . I have not tried any of the wines for this season , so I'm super excited . But also , I normally go out to the winery and taste everything before I get the box , because then I'm like yep , like that one .

Yep , that one's probably not the top of my list , so I'll drink that just on a whim on a Friday or whatever . However , this box is kind of exciting , so I have made the decision to have a lazy girl lasagna , and when I say this , it's just a deconstructed lasagna which is freaking Susan out , quite frankly , because she is the queen of lasagnas .

I would call her Nonna in the Italian sense , but she has the lasagna thing down patch . However , I came across a recipe for a lazy girl lasagna and that's just . I thought about it and I was like yep , either that with the 2023 Rose or a slapjack block Pinot Noir . I am a happy girl .

So that's what's happening tomorrow and that's obviously going to be the wine of the week is a Terra Sancta wine . Whichever one I choose , don't know . But off the bat of the one month being sober I'm not saying that I had any mental clarity , I definitely had brain fog from the stupid medication .

However , the energy was twofold , like I was trying to rest , but super energetic , which bothered me . But my face broke out in like heaps of acne . And when I deep dove into the effects of when you stop drinking alcohol and the sugar , the lack of sugar and what it does to your skin care , I was like oh no .

But I caught up with a very good friend of mine yesterday and she was having the same things happen and she was like I've totally stopped having sugar as well . And I just sat there and I was like Look , I could put it down to a million things .

It's not stress , because this girl ain't stressed right now , she's on Easy Street , but I would say definitely cutting back on the sugar . The boxes of RTDs on the weekend are in the past and your girl is happily like dealing with this acne at the moment , which I feel like I'm turning a corner with . I don't know , but do I sort of recommend it ?

Well , a lot of people have said to me like why , why are you doing this . Well , it wasn't a case of why , as opposed to the fact that everyone said you know you're not just dealing with panadol here , danny trimadol , and you don't drink when you're on trimadol .

So I took people's advice and I settled in and didn't touch alcohol for the month , so super proud . It was very easy and everything in moderation , moving forward . But yeah , that was really interesting , especially for someone like me who just loves cheese , wine , catching up , those types of things . That it was just I don't know . I did it without the wine .

I have a new thing . I definitely want to sort of chuck this out there . I have insecurities with my eyes . I have hooded eyelids , which is something I honestly , I'm not about to trigger you as I would say oh my God , go check your eyelids , you might have double eyelids .

When I was born , my eyelashes were not attached to my eyelid and they had to do surgery and I have like a hooded eye which no one can tell . I have never had a friend say to me there's something not symmetry about your eyes which is wild .

But I was on TikTok the other day and I came across a product called eye tapes , which basically is a skin colored tape that you pop onto your eyelid and it's really big in the Asian community because of their eye shape .

But white people I'm not being like culturally insensitive when I say this , but anyone can use these and I think it's just one of those things that it's been big in different cultures . But I am so impressed . Not only has it lifted my eyelid and not given me this double hood , but the makeup application and making me have these really great eyes .

That pop is everything I've ever dreamed of , Especially moving into the summer season where I really want to embrace like winged eyeliner and fake eyelashes and all the makeup , because I'm going on a Melbourne Cup cruise and I get to like deep dive into things that make me feel really , really good and go shopping in Melbourne and my cousins over there .

And she's a makeup artist oh my gosh . I want all the tips and I would actually smuggle her on board just so that she could let do my Melbourne Cup makeup , but I can't . However , I am learning this on my own and I definitely recommend eye tapes . I actually am going to try them on Susan , or you know what I'm going to see .

If she can tell that I'm wearing them right now . I actually have them on right now and I'm really . You know , when you do something for yourself and you feel really good about it , I'm like I'm just beaming . I'm absolutely beaming . It cracks me up . I recommend it . If you think you've got hooded eyelids , check it out . You can Google it , go on TikTok .

All those social media platforms will definitely tell you and help advise you . I got the tapes from a Asian store in Queenstown . I know I say that's really terrible , but I just wanted to try . I don't want to like invest in anything . So , yeah , I got it from Look Sharp in Queenstown , which isn't really an Asian shop , I apologize .

It's more just a store that's got heaps of different things that we wouldn't really necessarily think to buy . I suppose I could say my knee update for everyone asking . I have an appointment on the 9th of October . I officially started physio last Thursday . It wasn't bad , but it wasn't good .

It was just one of those discomfort things where I was asked to do things that I haven't done for a month on my leg and it was a month since I did the injury . So obviously I had to double the medication a little bit because I was like ow . The weird thing was is that they actually said that .

What they recommended that I still ice my knee at night , which I was like what ? No , I'm not going to ice my knee before bed , that's weird but that there would still be inflammation . So it would still be causing these stabbing hot poker pains in my knee area . However , the physio has said that it is on top of the MCL being torn .

It is also a cartilage thing , so I have to strength train and get like get that cartilage back into being stronger , which doesn't interest me . Of course I would do it , but I'm like , oh , she's sent me home with some exercises and I was like so I did them , but the next day I was like that's all A couple of TikTok ideas

. It's so weird when you see something on social media and you're like , yes , that is what I have had on my mind as something I've wanted for ages . Then you go and Google it and you're like , yep , it'll be somewhere weird like Sheen or Team U or AliExpress . No , at the moment , everything I have been looking up is leading me to Kmart .

There just arrived like cartons of stuff that have come into New Zealand is diabolical . I highly recommend a trip to Kmart right now . Not only have they got Halloween stuff and Christmas things , but even their makeup and clothing and footwear . It's like a whole other level .

It's kind of like they are like two steps ahead in watching what we're watching on trending items , for you know TikTok , team U and Sheen for homewares , and they already have it . So I am very impressed . However , there is an ice coffee machine . I don't doubt that a lot of people have come across this recently . Don't buy it .

Not only is it not really what it does , it's more a percolator . So it's kind of like cold drip , where you put the water and the coffee in the top of the device and it drips into your cup . I don't believe you should be paying $45 for something .

You still have to take the cup out and add the water because essentially it's not crushing the ice , it's not turning it into a frappuccino , it's just percolating the water and the coffee to make ice coffee onto the ice , like it's stupid .

However , I have come across a cold brew device because , moving into the summer seasons here in Central Otago , I definitely want to recommend cold brew . If you are not a coffee person , fast forward a little bit .

But there is this really great kitchen aid device that sits in your fridge where you pour like coffee I think it's coffee grounds and hot water , and then you sit it in your fridge . It looks like a jug , but it just makes cold brew coffee and I am all about that . Oh my gosh , it makes me so happy .

However , there is a cheap version because the kitchen aid one is about $220 . It's just more for aesthetics . It looks beautiful . However , there is a $15 one at Kmart . It is a jug . You put your coffee grounds in the center of it and you pour your hot water on it . It turns it into cold brew if you put it in the fridge . So you do , you boo .

But I am all about Kmart at the moment . I stalked the website for the Christmas cookie candle and I can successfully say I have managed to get my hands on all of the flavors which last year I was psycho about . I was going to like rob people's trolleys . That's how much I wanted these stupid candles .

So Friday last week , when I found out that they were in Australia , I was on the New Zealand Kmart website and I was stalking like not Ali , I would say three times a day Friday , saturday and I managed to get them . Not only did I get super excited . I didn't tell anyone because I was like what , if I want more , they're going to sell out .

But no , I told my friends in Australia and they all got them as well . So happy days . But I just yeah , massive shout out to Kmart for being ahead of the game . Right now I'm so impressed . It's not going to do well on my bank balance , but at the end of the day , your girl hates budgeting , thank you , it is what it is and came out office after pay .

So who cares girl math paid off in foreign storements , but no , that's definitely something I just wanted to touch on as well . Cracks me up when it comes to this whole end of season one stuff and upgrading my podcast , the wrap up that I just wanted to talk about quickly . What have we learned ?

Well , I was reminiscing last night and out of the 25 pods , I've only listened to one and that was the Danny Haley pod , number three . What was it ? Number two , I feel like it was number three . We both got a little bit tiddly bit drunk . I was so excited , I got really warm and fuzzy really fast and I don't know , just talking shit .

It wasn't shit , it was constructive , but I had to listen back to that podcast because I was so nervous that I dropped my address in there . I was like damn it . But anyway , talking with a friend yesterday she was like it's one of those things where I love just putting this pod out there and hearing the responses from everyone .

It's such it's my thing and I've decided this podcast is my thing , it's definitely my hobby .

But yeah , the one time I had to listen back was that one , which I didn't give my address away , but I nearly did , which is kind of annoying because at the end of the day , I know I've had offers to have things sent to me and I'm like no , no one's getting my address . It doesn't matter , I'm working on getting a Pia box , so that's fine .

This has definitely been the beginning , though , of the Danny Dope pod and for the OG listeners that have been there since the Exilephone at the start , the amount of feedback . So we're like , are you sitting there with an Exilephone dinging with the little sticks ? It still makes me laugh .

No , it actually was a ringtone on iPhone and I would just randomly play it and then I would try and jump in and start talking and make it really natural sounding . That's a little secret for you , but it didn't last long , just because my mentor was like yo , what are you doing ? Sounds horrendous . So we changed it .

The intro that I have now reminds me of like a cowboy situation , like entering a saloon and I love like cowboy inspired bars and things like it's just , it's me so .

Also when , many , many moons ago I'd say like 10 , maybe 10 , 11 , 12 years ago , queenstown had this competition called Thriller and the Chiller and you used to go up against , in the boxing sense , against someone in town and we always had this joke that , because I work for Vodafone , I would go up against the Telecom Girl , which is now Spark Telco vs Telco ,

and there was always this big discussion about what would be the music you'd come out of the tunnel to and I don't know . Sometimes I listen to my podcast , intramusic , and it's very like oh yeah , it's not soft , so it's almost empowering . Some people are a bit wishy washy .

I was listening to a podcast the other day and a girl just started talking and I was like wait , what's happening ? Where's the intro ?

I have listened to about 65 podcasts last week and I want to try and beat it and do 70 this week , so I've got stuff to do today , but obviously listening to other people and how they do things makes me excited for what season 2 looks like , and it's definitely one of those things that I want to structure a lot better . I feel like I leave it .

I honestly could release a podcast on Friday . Well , no , I could record a podcast on Friday , but things happen on the weekend that I want to discuss and that's just something I have to reign in a little bit , because my structure it just needs a bit of fine tuning and also how I structure what I talk about . I get really excited and I divert .

I'm like a friggin magpie looking at something shiny . I'm like whoa got to talk about that next , can't ? The engagement is definitely going to be heightened with more social media interactions . My Instagram , I feel , has just been there for topics and things where people can pick and choose as to what pod they want to listen to .

There was a couple of sound bites there for a minute , but it's not where I normally have my social media at like it's best , so I definitely want to spend more time on that and I am going to apply an end song and have more of an engaging , better introduction .

So there's a lot , not only with this whole changeover from Google podcast to YouTube pods and being more accessible on TikTok audio wise .

I don't know how long I'm going to take a break for just to get my head around it , because October is kind of my quiet month , where I get to explore different things and study what I want to do more for this , but also November is so hectic for me .

I've got so much happening and there's so many opportunities to have guests on the pod , so I've got to get this sorted . Guys , I hope you can understand and just sort of be with me . It's not ideal , but I want to do this the right way and not the really like half assed way .

As I keep saying , your girl deserves to do this professionally , and so we're going to come back better and more structured and definitely have more facts , because I feel like when I have a topic I want to talk about it , I only skim the surface , because I'm very conscious of the fact that I can drag shit out for over an hour and a half and no one needs

that . So this is where I'm going to end it today about 20 minutes more or less , just a wee wind down podcast number 25 and to let you know what's coming up . But I will definitely reach out and let you know via socials when I come back for season two . Hang with me , I promise , it'll be definitely worth it .

You have given me so much confidence and support and even my way of talking has changed because of the confidence that you've given me to just keep going , and I think it comes with . You know how many I've put out .

But let's get really to deep dive on some really fun topics where we can I don't know just engage and like laugh about shit , because I've been through the ringer a little bit this year and I'm ready just to fuck shit up .

No , not in a bad sense , but I have a lot of stories that I want to tell and I've been holding back and I don't know why , but it's just one of those things that I didn't feel confident to explain and now I do .

So , in saying that , all the best with the coming days , weeks , I don't know , I don't think it will be a month , but I will be back and take care , have a drink for Danny Dot , as we do . But yeah , catch you around , I'll see you soon . Bye , 잘�lo .