Today, we’re diving into the logistics of building community — specifically in our female friendships. We all want to get together with friends and do fun things, have traditions and all of that. So this episode is important in its simplicity because friendship matters. Helpful Companion Links There’s a friendly space for Lazy Geniuses here on the Internet in the form of a private Facebook group. Join us and get help or give help in being a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the ...
Feb 10, 2020•24 min
I believe in a world where it is fun and not loaded to talk about our bodies because our bodies are awesome. Full disclosure: I haven’t always felt this way, not by a long shot. I understand the difficulty here, so let’s move into this topic together. Stuff Mentioned I got on my soapbox last week thanks to an episode on Living Without Food Rules. It’s a RUHL good time if you missed it. Sarah of @thebirdspapaya is one of the most powerful voices I’ve encountered around thinking about our bodies. ...
Feb 03, 2020•10 min
Let's play a game. Let's name all of the food rules you've experienced in your life. Yeah...we'll be here a while and we probably won't feel that great after we list them all out. That's why I'm so passionate about talking about living without food rules. We don't need them, y'all. Here's why. Helpful Companion Links I host a secret monthly podcast with my sister on Patreon. You can become a patron by signing up for The Lazy Sisters Podcast here. Here’s The Lazy Genius and Healthy Eating episode...
Jan 27, 2020•30 min
I know that so many of you folks who listen to this podcast love to read. You love books and more books and finding more ways to get more books into your life. In today’s episode, we’ll create a quick and easy path to figuring out what to read this winter if that’s on your radar and how to make the most of your reading minutes over the next couple of months. Helpful Companion Links Here’s my winter stack if you need to see my titles in black and white pixels. I take this seasonal approach to mea...
Jan 20, 2020•23 min
I love putting the proper importance on food and meals and gathering around the table but not wasting energy on the wrong things. Those wrong things look different for everyone listening, but today we’re going to figure out what matters and what doesn’t around your winter table. Stuff Mentioned The list of actual meals my family is eating from my Winter Dinner Queue this season. Hope*Writers is opening its doors to new members now through Friday, January 17th. If you already know you want in, yo...
Jan 13, 2020•25 min
Today, I’m giving you two simple questions to ask yourself as you move into 2020 so that you can see your time in a way that makes sense for the season you’re in and makes a difference in your everyday life. Helpful Companion Links January’s Latest Lazy Letter goes out on Wednesday, and I would love for it to land in your inbox if it doesn’t already. Join the Lazy Genius VIP mailing to get this once-a-month email chock full of book recommendations, podcast talk, and a little insight I don’t shar...
Jan 06, 2020•19 min
Goals aren’t so you’ll look or be the way you think you should. They’re not to make you fit in. They’re not to make you seem like someone who’s got their life together. They’re for you. Helpful Goal-Related Companion Links Don’t set stupid goals. Here’s how. The perfect solution to dealing with screwing up a goal. If you’re craving something a little more tangible today, listen to The Lazy Genius Sets Goals or read How to Set Goals like a Normal Person. If you’re great at setting goals but it’s ...
Dec 30, 2019•5 min
Christmas is in two days. Here’s a super quick pep talk that will remind you of two important things you can do during this season. Merry Christmas! Helpful Companion Links If Christmas Eve Eve has you feeling squirrelly, listen (or relisten) to last week’s episode Ten Ideas for a Holiday Reset. Download a transcript of this episode. This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy ...
Dec 23, 2019•5 min
We have one week until Christmas, and it might already be time for a reset. No matter how intentional we are, how much margin we create, things surprise us. And that’s okay and normal and we’ll all be fine. Here are ten tips for a reset in case you need one. Stuff Mentioned A few crowdsourced Lazy Genius holiday traveling road trip tips. Make that trip to visit grandma enjoyable from the first mile through pulling back into your driveway. And here's a companion episode for holiday road trips. I’...
Dec 16, 2019•20 min
I love a good mood. I love a good vibe. And our holiday memories aren’t always what we did; it’s about how we felt. We remember the vibe, the feeling the environment gave us. Let’s focus on creating that vibe and let the activities happen as they will. Here’s how. Helpful Companion Links Background music is the perfect way to add a little atmosphere to your gathering (or your workday). Here’s a post with my favorite Christmas albums and nine carefully crafted holiday playlists I had the most fun...
Dec 09, 2019•19 min
We’re all in gift-giving and gift-buying mode and spending a lot of time on it or least are gearing up to. I want to help you be happy with the gifts you give and be more strategic and thoughtful about the time you spend on finding and buying those gifts. We’ll go through a step by step process, and I think that by the end of this episode, you’ll feel so much better about things. Stuff Mentioned Check out my Holiday Gift Guide chock full of gift ideas that are things that I have actually bought ...
Dec 02, 2019•19 min
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post titled Ten Commandments of Thanksgiving Weekend. Looking back on it, I realized some things changed, and that’s okay. That’s why I’ve put together ten strategies that will help your entire Thanksgiving week whether you’re hosting or not. This can be such a beautiful time of year, especially if you think like a Lazy Genius and be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t. Helpful Companion Links For Thanksgiving Week The ...
Nov 25, 2019•19 min
I love the idea of being thoughtful and intentional about anything, and traditions definitely fit the bill. So today, we’re going to walk through ten steps to creating your own so you’ll be able to think about traditions like a Lazy Genius and then maybe actually do them. This conversation is all about creating your own traditions, so no matter what your family unit looks like, this conversation is for you. Helpful Companion Links This week’s topic was inspired by a conversation during last week...
Nov 18, 2019•23 min
Y’all, we’re about to spend an entire episode talking about Thanksgiving turkey. Or just turkey if you periodically cook a ten pound bird when it’s not Thanksgiving. I want to talk through it a little because sometimes we need a voice telling us we’re doing okay, especially when we’re dealing with a giant dead bird and hungry, mildly judgmental family members. Stuff Mentioned I shared my absolute favorite turkey recipe a few years ago, and I still stand by it. Watch the crowd from New Girl defro...
Nov 11, 2019•24 min
It is the first week of November, and all of the holiday hosting is about to hit hard so I want to give you some tools to enjoy this time, not dread it. Helpful Companion Links Get this month’s Latest Lazy Letter by joining the Lazy Genius VIP list here. I share ten Thanksgiving hosting tips along with three keys to hosting success in The Lazy Genius Hosts Thanksgiving. If you’re already bracing yourself for the grating conversations you’ll have with family members you can’t not invite to things...
Nov 04, 2019•28 min
It’s about that time. Grandparents in faraway states are waiting, but getting in the car with all the stuff and possibly all the children can feel daunting. Hopefully, this episode will help that, but please note, this episode only covers being in the car, not packing or being on vacation or leaving or coming home. It’s just for being in the car, which is really the most exhausting part. Stuff Mentioned See how other Lazy Geniuses tackle road trips with Road Tested Road Trip Tips, a round-up of ...
Oct 28, 2019•22 min
Chaos and frenzy pull me under. I feel stressed out, I get headaches, I get mad, my body physically hurts, and I don’t enjoy what’s happening right in front of me. That’s no fun at any point in the year or my life, but it’s a particular bummer around this time of year. None of us want to feel frenzied, but sometimes even with intentional plans, it happens anyway. Today, let’s talk about one small way to keep that frenzy at bay. If you haven’t joined me over Instagram, you can find me @thelazygen...
Oct 21, 2019•17 min
A few weeks ago, I shared how I plan a week like a Lazy Genius. That led us to a great conversation on Instagram about the many, many options available to us when we’re choosing a planner. But here’s the thing, there’s no perfect planner because there’s no way to manufacture a perfect life. This week, I’m sharing how to use planners as tools in being a genius about things that matter and lazy about things that don’t. Links That Might Be Helpful If you’re looking for planners that I’ve used in th...
Oct 14, 2019•25 min
There are lots of ways to approach shopping for groceries from where you go to making a shopping list, and today I’m going to share my seven principles for buying groceries like a Lazy Genius. We can, in fact, Lazy Genius just about anything, including how, when, where, and even why you buy groceries. I think you’ll really be encouraged and motivated by the end of this episode. Stuff Mentioned My ebook The Swap is part of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Flash Sale that’s happening October 16-17. ...
Oct 07, 2019•24 min
Sometimes asking for help is the hardest thing to do, but you’re allowed to ask for help, no matter the circumstance. It’s good, in fact, to ask for help. And today, we’re talking about the ways to do it – the different kinds of therapy and different reasons why or why not you might pursue them. Plus, I talk about how to be a good friend to someone else who needs help. It’s a heavy topic, but one that I want to join in the flow of normalizing it. Links You May Find Helpful If you’ve thought abou...
Sep 30, 2019•23 min
If you’ve ever purchased multiple planners in a year, this episode is for you. Today, we’re walking through three questions to ask when planning your week, and then we’ll use my own weekly plan for this week as a kind of case study to see how the questions are put into practice. It’s a simple approach but incredibly impactful. Helpful Companion Links If you want to tackle learning how to freeze food this fall, don’t miss out on The Naptime Kitchen Guide to Freezing. If nothing else, give @naptim...
Sep 23, 2019•25 min
Snacks, homework, playing, chores, making dinner, not to mention those extracurriculars if your kids are into sports and clubs. The reason why the hours after school is over feel frenzied is because it IS frenzied. But a routine can help. In this episode, we will talk about why a routine is helpful, how to build one that works for you, and I’ll share our personal after school routine in case you need specific ideas. Stuff Mentioned If you’re looking how to Lazy Genius a routine, take a look at m...
Sep 16, 2019•23 min
Today we’re talking about books! And based on your responses to the Latest Lazy Letter (which has tons of book and podcast recommendations), you love talking about them, too. I’m sharing what I learned from setting summer reading goals and how I plan to use that information as I head into the fall. Stuff Mentioned If you missed my episode on summer reading, listen to Summer Reading Plans 2019 to catch up before listening to my reflections here. Check out my Fall Reading Stack here. For reading o...
Sep 09, 2019•16 min
One of my favorite ways to approach a new season is to have a dinner queue to pull from when deciding what to eat for dinner. In this episode, I’m going to share my reflections from my summer dinner queue and give you how I’m taking what I learned as I build one for the fall. Companion Links For This Episode Grab your copy of The Holiday Docket at the early bird price of $22 from now until September 5. If you’d like some practical thoughts on how to plan for fall, listen to The Lazy Genius Plan ...
Sep 02, 2019•11 min
Even though the fall/winter American holidays don’t technically start until Halloween, it does my brain – and likely yours – a lot of good to start thinking about time now. I want to create routines and view my time through the lens of what matters so that I can keep spending my time, even the time at the end of a busy day, in such a way that makes me feel more like myself. Here’s how you can do the same. Useful Links Grab your copy of The Holiday Docket at the early bird price of $22 from now u...
Aug 26, 2019•22 min
Opening and closing ceremonies are the magic pill that can make different seasons and transitions come more alive. The problem with moving from one season to another, one holiday to another, one season of life to another is that we have our feet in two different camps most of the time. The transitions are relentless and can easily strip the joy away from seasons of life that we really love. That’s where opening and closing ceremonies work their magic. Companion Links For This Episode Get your co...
Aug 19, 2019•11 min
Let’s talk a bit more about the Enneagram. The Enneagram has its own language in many ways. And if you aren’t familiar with the concepts, it all sounds like gibberish. In today’s episode, I go through a few of the main concepts of the Enneagram and give them some context in how they can help you make sense of yourself. Helpful Links and Resources Join the Lazy Genius VIP list to be the first to know about super secret announcements and monthly book and podcast recommendations. If you haven’t yet...
Aug 12, 2019•27 min
Chores seem like a good anchor in the summer, but they really are a huge part of routine in the fall. But how do we do it? Allowance or no allowance, charts or no charts, how young is too young or how old is too old? All the things. Today, I share how I handle chores for my kids, but also how you can think about what matters and what doesn’t in relation to kids’ chores to create a system that makes sense for your family. Stuff Mentioned If you want to hear more about our family’s complaining tal...
Aug 05, 2019•23 min
Do you feel buried under mountains of kids’ clothes? Or you feel like you’re constantly running to the store to pick up pants that fit? Or maybe you’re tired of managing a closet full of tiny person clothes when your kid would rather wear a t-shirt with a cartoon plastered on it every day of the week? It’s a real struggle. But the good news is you’re not alone. Let’s spend some time today talking about the two decisions your kids’ clothes require and how to make those decisions in ways that work...
Jul 29, 2019•28 min
After a three week hiatus, we’re jumping into practical ways to start preparing for fall while still enjoying what’s left of summer. Have you ever noticed how we tend to wait to get the school supply list or for our last trip to end before we think about what’s coming around the corner? In today’s episode, I offer a few tips on how to stop waiting for someone else to say go to keep our transition from summer to fall from feeling so jarring. Resources You May Find Helpful Make sure you’re on The ...
Jul 22, 2019•26 min
