Episode 60: It All Comes Back to Skeeball
Amanda is living that solo Vermont life for a few glorious days while Brooke has a shocking Target-adjacent confession to share. The ladies then chat about picking up hobbies as adults, letting go of control and embracing good enough-ish results when it comes to creative hobbies, and the surprising results that can often come from trying something new.
Amanda then shares a fairly obvious but nonetheless important-to-acknowledge joy-sparker, and Brooke lets us in on a favor to her future self that comes in super handy when overwhelm hits.
Visit www.goodenoughish.com for links to everything mentioned on the show.
Support the podcast: Good Enough-ish on Patreon
Snag Some Merch: goodenoughish.com/shop
Join the Good Enough-ish™ conversation in our private FB group: Good Enough-ish private Facebook group
If you like this episode, please take a moment to share a positive review on Apple Podcasts, and share with others who may enjoy Good Enough-ish!
We'll be back each week with new topics, stories, tips, and personal experiences, as well as some good old friendly banter and lots of laughter. Don't forget to find us on Instagram @goodenough.ish, or contact us with your episode ideas, questions, and comments.
Transcript
Brooke, Amanda.
Speaker:Hi.
Speaker:Hi.
Speaker:This is so weird.
Speaker:Hi.
Speaker:It's weird.
Speaker:We're, we're in different places.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Which we've, we've done a couple times before with recording.
Speaker:We have, but, but we're using a new software.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:We just, we don't, we don't know what the final result's gonna be.
Speaker:So we don't really know.
Speaker:We don't really know what we're doing, Brooke.
Speaker:That's not true.
Speaker:We don't, we do.
Speaker:No, we do know what we're doing.
Speaker:You did research before and you got us all set up in this system.
Speaker:You gave me an orientation that was extremely clear.
Speaker:Oh, thanks.
Speaker:I have, yeah, I had logged on, I mean, it took me like seven minutes
Speaker:this morning to like follow your orientation and get us all set up.
Speaker:So it's fun.
Speaker:It's fun because.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:It's like new.
Speaker:I like learning new things and you know, I like tech, so this is fun.
Speaker:We know.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You're a lifelong learner and a tech lover.
Speaker:Lifelong learner.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I got myself a fancy new microphone.
Speaker:I'm proud.
Speaker:We're really stepping it up here.
Speaker:I'm so proud of you, Brooke, because you're frugal.
Speaker:You're a frugal lady and you know, it takes a bit for you to invest in
Speaker:a big piece of equipment like that, but you did it and look at you, it.
Speaker:Uh, look at me now, Amanda.
Speaker:So we're recording from two places because you are in Vermont.
Speaker:Yes, I'm in Vermont.
Speaker:And can I just tell you, it's amazing here.
Speaker:So I had my Black Bear weekend, which everybody on the podcast has heard about.
Speaker:It's my annual girls weekend that we've been doing for like 20 something years.
Speaker:And, um, It was at my friend's house in Vermont, Jocelyn, and she
Speaker:so kindly allowed me to stay here for a little solo retreat for a few
Speaker:days after the weekend was over.
Speaker:And I am living my best life.
Speaker:Living my best life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Solo life.
Speaker:Yeah, she's in Rwanda.
Speaker:My friends are very international.
Speaker:You have the most worldly friends of anyone I've ever met.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Well, so she's going to Rwanda.
Speaker:Uh, Karen lives in Senegal.
Speaker:Um, Melissa lives in Vienna, Austria as your friend alls and mm-hmm.
Speaker:And Lindsay lives in Dubai.
Speaker:Amazing.
Speaker:And I live in Westchester, Pennsylvania.
Speaker:You do?
Speaker:And that's okay.
Speaker:Westchester, Pennsylvania is also a lovely place, but, well, so you're
Speaker:living your best solo life and, um, yeah, I'm, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a
Speaker:little jealous of the solitary time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, it's been busy.
Speaker:The, one of the reasons why I'm here is because I'm teaching.
Speaker:I'm teaching.
Speaker:Um, so twice a year I teach incoming classes of Kaari trainees, people
Speaker:that wanna be kaari consultants.
Speaker:And one of those times, because of the time difference in West Coast
Speaker:stuff I teach until from 7:00 PM till one o'clock in the morning.
Speaker:Oof.
Speaker:So that was why I actually wanted to stay here in Vermont because it's hard
Speaker:to do at home to just like be in my office from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM Yeah.
Speaker:Um, but here I can.
Speaker:I more easily do that.
Speaker:So it has been busy, but it's been nice to just like sleep in,
Speaker:lean and enjoy the Vermont life.
Speaker:I got a rental car and it's a Jeep.
Speaker:Oh, fun.
Speaker:It's not like a Jeep Wrangler, it's a Jeep Compass or something like that.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Like it's just whatever they gave me, I requested like a Kia Pop.
Speaker:Nothing.
Speaker:But I got the cool Jeep and it's fun.
Speaker:It has like a double sunroof.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:And I'm coming with you next time.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then I'm inviting myself.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And then one last update on Vermont.
Speaker:So I'm taking care of Jocelyn's dog Nova, who I pointed out to you earlier.
Speaker:The dog is so chill that like I do worry that it's been sedated or something
Speaker:because the comparison to Juni is stark.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:It's a real stark comparison and a real wake up call about the
Speaker:amount of training that Juni needs.
Speaker:Was it the reminder you needed?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Well, okay.
Speaker:One of these days, Junie will not greet me with so much enthusiasm and I might
Speaker:be a little sad about it, but you know.
Speaker:I also understand that you need to get that under control.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yes, I do.
Speaker:What's up with you?
Speaker:Tell me everything.
Speaker:So I know that we both did something last weekend.
Speaker:Um, yours was a little bit more I.
Speaker:Fun drive-in atmosphere.
Speaker:But we both saw the Barbie movie.
Speaker:Oh my God.
Speaker:Did you love it?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I did, but I only heard about 30% of it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So you're gonna have to see it again.
Speaker:I loved it so much.
Speaker:It was just visually it was.
Speaker:Phenomenal, obviously.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, and then the story was so great and the part where she's like in
Speaker:the car singing to Indigo Girls.
Speaker:Oh, did you know that?
Speaker:Did you know that Indigo You did?
Speaker:I knew that was coming because I had seen the Trailers and Indigo
Speaker:girls, like on their Instagram.
Speaker:They had posted that scene.
Speaker:I was like, why are they sharing the Barbie movie?
Speaker:Like it seemed, you know, Off brand, but then when I realized like what
Speaker:the, what Barbie is singing in the car, it's just, it's so amazing.
Speaker:So I wanna see it again.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I also wanna tell you that since we last recorded, um, my quiz team
Speaker:did bring home a first place win.
Speaker:Yes, it did.
Speaker:Yes it did.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So freaking proud of you.
Speaker:So freaking proud of you.
Speaker:I, I was so proud of myself and like, I think the other teams are
Speaker:gonna like, stand down a little bit.
Speaker:Now they're like, okay, we see you.
Speaker:The next time you show the quizzo, there's not gonna be anybody there.
Speaker:They're all gonna like, retreat.
Speaker:Retreat.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I don't know if.
Speaker:Uh, you know, we've had to take some weeks off because of various vacation schedules
Speaker:and things like that, but our little core team of five, we, we brought home the win.
Speaker:So I'll keep everyone posted on how we do next time.
Speaker:And, um, also wanted to share that evidently ski ball leagues do exist.
Speaker:I looked this up after our last recording, um, because we decided that like ski ball
Speaker:is just like the sport for all that we should be playing, and there are ski ball
Speaker:leagues, including here in Philadelphia.
Speaker:What, wait a second.
Speaker:You told me that there were ski ball leagues, but you Yes.
Speaker:You didn't tell me that there were ski ball leagues in Philadelphia.
Speaker:So when I searched again, one of them, I believe it's called Brew ski ball.
Speaker:What?
Speaker:They have a Philadelphia location.
Speaker:What I know.
Speaker:So we might have to go check this out for research purposes.
Speaker:'cause I, I told you, Brooke, I was like, I'll move to Milwaukee.
Speaker:Like I don't care for ski ball, anything, you know.
Speaker:But, um, wow.
Speaker:Philadelphia.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Well, Brooke, a little teaser.
Speaker:A little teaser is that are, um, our main topic today is hobbies.
Speaker:And, uh, I have a feeling I just acquired in.
Speaker:Brand new one.
Speaker:I think you did.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:We just have to bring it to the burbs.
Speaker:'cause you know how I feel about driving into the city.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:But if they have, if they have cute shirts, imagine if you get a Quizzo
Speaker:shirt and I get a ski ball shirt.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I don't think Quizzo has shirts, but I can make one as we've discussed.
Speaker:I, I can.
Speaker:Will I?
Speaker:They do now.
Speaker:Quizzo has shirts now.
Speaker:Quizzo has shirts now.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Oh my God.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:That's great news.
Speaker:That's a shocker.
Speaker:That was something that I didn't know about the Philadelphia
Speaker:part, and so I'm on it.
Speaker:I'm on it.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Alright.
Speaker:We're gonna have to do this soon.
Speaker:My birthday is coming up next month.
Speaker:I'm not sure that I want it to be like a ski ball birthday, but
Speaker:it could be an excuse to get out.
Speaker:Of our comfort zone here in the burbs.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Yeah, because I don't think I can weed until March to have a ski
Speaker:ball birthday, but you know, so maybe I can convince somebody else
Speaker:in my family to have ski ball.
Speaker:We'll go scope it out.
Speaker:We'll scope it out.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I also wanted to let you know that this is kind of a sensitive.
Speaker:Sensitive subject because you know how I love Target.
Speaker:I do.
Speaker:Um, and I just, I feel like I need to come clean to everyone that I am.
Speaker:I'm, I'm cheating on Target.
Speaker:Oh my God.
Speaker:Um, so what have you done?
Speaker:What have you done?
Speaker:What have I done?
Speaker:So it's okay.
Speaker:Um, I mean, target and I still have a relationship, but right now, so I
Speaker:think I've talked before about how I'm.
Speaker:A member of like the Panera SIP club.
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:Which is like you pay a flat fee per month.
Speaker:I think it's like 10 bucks or something.
Speaker:And every time you go to Panera you get a free coffee or fountain
Speaker:beverage every two hours.
Speaker:Yes, yes.
Speaker:So like there's days that I will camp out there for four hours and get worked on.
Speaker:So I'm getting free sodas, I'm getting free coffee.
Speaker:And you can also, I didn't know every two hours.
Speaker:I thought it was just once a day.
Speaker:No, it's every two hours.
Speaker:For your refill needs.
Speaker:Oh, that's cute.
Speaker:And you also get, like, you can save, you know, a dollar or $2
Speaker:here and there on your food.
Speaker:So for the frequency with which I go, especially now in the summer,
Speaker:the kids are here with the sitter.
Speaker:I am getting out of the house more often to do work, um, with fewer distractions.
Speaker:I, you know, kept up with the Panera SIP Club, uh, membership.
Speaker:Well, with it recently came a free three month membership of Walmart Plus.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And with that comes free delivery.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:And Walmart is pretty big on groceries now.
Speaker:I don't ever do my grocery shopping there.
Speaker:'cause all our Walmart, like the parking lot is terrible.
Speaker:And it's just like, And it's kind of far right?
Speaker:Isn't the Walmart isn't the one in Springfield?
Speaker:No, it's pretty close to me.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:Its like a five minute drive.
Speaker:But I like that shopping center, like I avoid at all costs
Speaker:because of the parking situation.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And so I was like, oh, their groceries are pretty good prices
Speaker:and I'm getting free delivery.
Speaker:I placed an order this morning for some things that we need
Speaker:and I don't have a chance.
Speaker:To run out between the kids and recording and all of that stuff.
Speaker:And it's gonna be here at two o'clock this afternoon.
Speaker:Oh, same day.
Speaker:Same day.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:It, it's not always available same day.
Speaker:It depends on like their schedule.
Speaker:So I tried it once on a Saturday, and the soonest delivery they could offer
Speaker:me was Monday morning, which was fine in that instance, but today I was
Speaker:like, oh, we're outta strawberries.
Speaker:We need this, we need that.
Speaker:And I go to Trader Joe's for a lot of things too.
Speaker:But today I just needed.
Speaker:Some stuff delivered to my door.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And like the earliest delivery was 2:00 PM and this was at like nine 30.
Speaker:I placed my order this morning.
Speaker:That's amazing.
Speaker:Because I do the giant Peapod like delivery.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Giant Direct, I think it's called now, but usually you do have
Speaker:to order at least a day or two before to get it on the same day.
Speaker:If I need same day delivery, I'll do Whole Foods.
Speaker:But that's 9 99 now for same day delivery.
Speaker:That's a lot.
Speaker:It's steep.
Speaker:No, I really only do that like in case of a total emergency.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And like, I won't be doing this likely during the school year,
Speaker:but right now it's like we have the sitter for 20 hours a week.
Speaker:Um, you know, Nick's working at his office an hour away.
Speaker:It's just like my time is at a minimum right now.
Speaker:So it's working out really well.
Speaker:I love that you're, I don't want anyone to worry.
Speaker:I'm.
Speaker:Still gonna be faithful to target for many other things.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, and with the free delivery comes like, I'm adding a tip to it for the
Speaker:driver and things like that, but I think I'm still saving money in the long run
Speaker:because their prices are really good and I'm not taking the time to go.
Speaker:So, yeah.
Speaker:And you're also not strolling the aisles and being like, oh, this and
Speaker:that and this, and look at these cute.
Speaker:Stickers and look at these, you know?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I'm kind of, Nick traditionally has done our like larger giant
Speaker:shopping order because I'm kind of a disaster when it comes to that.
Speaker:I'm like, Ooh, this looks, this looks fun.
Speaker:Oh, I know.
Speaker:So it's best to keep me out of this store.
Speaker:Yeah, I know.
Speaker:And with the free.
Speaker:Walmart Plus comes a free Paramount subscription, so it's like from my one.
Speaker:For how long?
Speaker:For how long?
Speaker:I think also three months.
Speaker:Oh, so it was like Panera gave me the Walmart plus freebie, and then Walmart
Speaker:plus gave me the Paramount freebie.
Speaker:I feel like I'm really working the system here.
Speaker:Yeah, I mean Panera Care Gateway Drug here.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:So, oh wow.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:These are all very intriguing tips.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And at one point I did again, like working the system, and I didn't mean to game
Speaker:the system this way, but at one point I wasn't going to Panera very often.
Speaker:This was like a few months ago.
Speaker:So I went to cancel my subscription and they're like, oh, I t won't
Speaker:you stay for only 3 99 a month.
Speaker:I was like, yes, I'll, you got me?
Speaker:Yes, I'll, I'll, so I am paying full price now.
Speaker:But you know, all those things, just if you keep an eye on it and
Speaker:make sure that you're not paying for subscriptions that you're not
Speaker:using, you can gain a lot from those little freebies and things like that.
Speaker:You're good.
Speaker:I try.
Speaker:You're good?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I try.
Speaker:I'm here to impress.
Speaker:Amanda, should we take a little break?
Speaker:Let's take a break.
Speaker:I'm excited.
Speaker:Spoiler.
Speaker:I'm excited about our topic today.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We'll be back.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Bye.
Speaker:We're back.
Speaker:We are back.
Speaker:We are back.
Speaker:And as I've mentioned seven times, our main topic today is hobbies.
Speaker:And you know what got me thinking about this topic was, you know,
Speaker:as I said, I'm up here in Vermont and my friend Jocelyn, who is.
Speaker:Our host here in her home is learning guitar, and so there were
Speaker:a couple nights where, you know, she got the guitar out and was like
Speaker:teaching us what she was learning and it was just really cool to see.
Speaker:It's like a whole different it.
Speaker:It operates like a whole different part of your brain.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:To try to learn something new And the guitar is really hard.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But it's really hard.
Speaker:Um, so I don't know.
Speaker:I just kind of felt inspired and I also felt like I don't
Speaker:really have a lot of hobbies.
Speaker:Like I read, I read, what else are my hobbies?
Speaker:I read, I read.
Speaker:You read?
Speaker:I think I mentioned that.
Speaker:I'm sure I have other hobbies, but, um, I don't know.
Speaker:I have been thinking a lot about, I wanna get back to sewing.
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:Because I used to sew when I was a little girl, and I think I've mentioned
Speaker:about five times this weekend in different occasions that I won a
Speaker:four H contest once for selling.
Speaker:I knew I, I did not know this about you.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I, I wonder if it, what did you sew?
Speaker:I sewed.
Speaker:I sewed.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I sewed.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:A rainbow skirt for myself and a matching rainbow skirt for my doll.
Speaker:And I can't remember if it was a cabbage patch, kid, doll, or one of those other
Speaker:standup dolls or whatever, but I won.
Speaker:And I don't remember if I won first place.
Speaker:I don't think I did, but I won some.
Speaker:It's okay.
Speaker:Everyone's a winner.
Speaker:Do you still have it?
Speaker:I like, I'm sure it's somewhere.
Speaker:My mother probably saved it.
Speaker:It's probably somewhere.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:Um, it would be adorable.
Speaker:So you're stressed.
Speaker:Can you imagine if it was, can you imagine if it was the same size as Isabelle and we
Speaker:found it, she could wear my rainbow skirt.
Speaker:How freaking amazing would that be?
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:New mission.
Speaker:You need to find it.
Speaker:Well, you know why I am excited about the idea of sewing, like, you
Speaker:know, I'm a very concrete person.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I like, and I like quick wins.
Speaker:So like, for like knitting for example, which I know we're gonna
Speaker:talk about, it seems like it's just too long of a process for me.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like for example, like I could knock out like I love pouches.
Speaker:I never met a pouch I didn't like.
Speaker:I love pouches and like I could knock a pouch out.
Speaker:Once I got good at it.
Speaker:I could knock pouches out in like 30 minutes.
Speaker:You could sew so many pouches.
Speaker:Zipper pouches.
Speaker:Drawstring pouches.
Speaker:So many.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I never met a pouch I didn't like, so I like the, the concrete
Speaker:aspect of this is exactly how you do it, and then you get X result.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Now do you have a sewing machine?
Speaker:No, but my niece had a brief stint with sewing and she does not want
Speaker:her sewing machine anymore, so I think she's gonna give it to me.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:So you have the resources to get back into sewing.
Speaker:I don't know where I'm gonna sew.
Speaker:I don't know where I'm gonna do it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We can, we can work that out.
Speaker:You have tables?
Speaker:We can, we can figure that out for you.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I like this for you.
Speaker:Are you, um, I mean, so something that.
Speaker:It has always been tricky for me is as like a creative, like my job
Speaker:is creative with graphic design.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Is that I am very particular about the final outcome of things.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So it's, it's helpful for me to have creative hobbies that are
Speaker:not related to my income, but it's also difficult for me sometimes to.
Speaker:Not love the outcome or not be good at something creative right off the bat.
Speaker:So that's something that I need to, 'cause I also, I I've, I've let some
Speaker:of the hobbies fall by the wayside.
Speaker:Um, but one that I love that I discovered several years ago from
Speaker:my friend Tina Crespo, she is an amazing photographer and fine artist,
Speaker:and she taught me alcohol ink.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Which is a medium that.
Speaker:Basically has, there's no control.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And you need to really surrender your need for control and just be kind of delighted
Speaker:with the outcome, whatever it may be.
Speaker:Mm.
Speaker:Now there's techniques and you can, you can use techniques to, um, you know,
Speaker:manipulate, ate the aim things and Yeah.
Speaker:Shape things and manipulate it.
Speaker:But like you truly, when I would start with a few different colors.
Speaker:So it's basically, it's these little, um, Tubes of ink that mm-hmm.
Speaker:It's like very concentrated marker ink almost.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:Um, that's not actually what it is, but it's like if you took the
Speaker:concentrated ink that goes into a marker.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:This is how concentrated it would be.
Speaker:So a single drop of this ink, and then you put a little.
Speaker:Um, dropper of actual, like rubbing alcohol.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then you kind of move it around the page.
Speaker:You can use a straw to like blow it around.
Speaker:You can use a hairdryer, all different techniques.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And sometimes I will get in there with like two or three different colors and the
Speaker:final result is often beautiful, but it is never what I thought I was going to get.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:That's So where are you doing this?
Speaker:That's, where are you doing this project?
Speaker:So it's.
Speaker:Mess free enough that I can do it.
Speaker:Like at my dining room table.
Speaker:Huh?
Speaker:I have like a big, um, like cutting mat that I use as a surface.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I've actually had this cutting mat since college still has my maiden name
Speaker:written on it, and I love to use it.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Just as like a creative surface.
Speaker:So I'm not getting anything dirty, but ultimately it's these little ink droppers
Speaker:you use, you know, little, um, droppers that you can add the alcohol on it as
Speaker:well to manipulate the colors, but it's a pretty mess free, low mess thing.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I like that.
Speaker:The only thing is that it does smell, if you're using the rubbing
Speaker:alcohol, you can go a little hard.
Speaker:So you gotta make sure that you're my, this is why you like, This hobby.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Gotta be sure that you're being mindful of that.
Speaker:And you know, I don't do it when the kids are around, but like a lot of
Speaker:times if I haven't done it in a while, but if Nick would like take the kids.
Speaker:To his parents for the weekend, weekend or something.
Speaker:I'll get out my supplies and you have to use this certain kind of paper.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, I believe it's called epo.
Speaker:It because it doesn't absorb the ink.
Speaker:It, it kind of like sits on top of the surface.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:And you can also do it on, um, like I've done it on tiles to make like a coaster.
Speaker:It's just a really awesome.
Speaker:Medium and it's very inexpensive to get into.
Speaker:So that was one that for me, fun and easy.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And Tina, like I went to some of the workshops that she taught.
Speaker:On this medium, but it's, it was really important for me to do something
Speaker:that had like an imperfect outcome.
Speaker:Yes, I like that.
Speaker:Um, because I get a little bit of, I, I am a little bit of a perfectionist
Speaker:and most of my hobbies do end up being some sort of creating or making.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Like you said, we also both like reading, but is there another hobby that you
Speaker:are interested in, in taking up that.
Speaker:Is not creative like sewing, or what are hobbies that aren't creative?
Speaker:Gardening is gardening.
Speaker:Creative.
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Well, yeah, but in a different way.
Speaker:I don't want to garden.
Speaker:I don't want to garden.
Speaker:You don't, you're like, I don't wanna do it.
Speaker:It is just, I mean, it's creative in a certain way, but you're not, you're
Speaker:not creating something in the same sense as like, Sewing, but even, I
Speaker:mean, sewing, it's creative, but it might need to for people that might
Speaker:not feel like they are quote unquote creative people, which I disagree.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I think we all.
Speaker:Are creative in certain ways, but sewing is a really good one
Speaker:because you can follow a pattern.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And you can, you know, you're buying fabric that already exists.
Speaker:You're buying textiles that someone else has put thought into the pattern, or, yes.
Speaker:So it's like, and I also like that's, I like the practicality of it too.
Speaker:Like, for example, Isabelle has bought a few shirts recently
Speaker:that are really big on the side.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:And I'd love to learn how to bring them in, but bring them in in a way
Speaker:that I can then let them out again.
Speaker:So that she can wear them again later.
Speaker:Like, I kind of like that home steady, darn, the socks, like kind of like, you
Speaker:know, like fixing things sort of thing.
Speaker:Home steady.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I mean, one of the things like, I mean, so like the piano for example,
Speaker:I played the piano when I was little.
Speaker:But I felt a little bit turned against it because I hated
Speaker:practicing and I was not playing.
Speaker:I think we've talked about this before.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I was playing, you know, like Rock of ages and I, today I'd
Speaker:love to play like Ed Sheeran.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That could be something kind of fun.
Speaker:Like Isabelle actually has a, um, A Casio.
Speaker:See this?
Speaker:Okay, Brooke, this is good.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:This is good.
Speaker:We're talking it through.
Speaker:We're talking it through because I'm already going to like, well,
Speaker:where am I gonna do all this?
Speaker:She has a Casio and I need to get a stand for it because it's just
Speaker:like you would just set it on a table or something and play it.
Speaker:But I wanna ha to have a stand and I'd like, and they have all these.
Speaker:Apps now that you can, these piano that will teach you to play piano.
Speaker:Um, and she actually showed some interest in that too, so it'd be fun to do that.
Speaker:My question is, Where, and the thing is too, like with the sewing, it can be a
Speaker:bit messy 'cause you've got the scraps and the threads and the blah blah, blah.
Speaker:But what do you think Brooke, about, you know how my dining room, I'm
Speaker:trying to make it not a dining room and more like kind of a creative room.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Would it be weird for you to walk into my house and see a sewing
Speaker:machine and a, um, what is it called?
Speaker:A keyboard in there?
Speaker:Not at all.
Speaker:It would delight me.
Speaker:I mean, I love to see how people use their spaces to create and also who caress.
Speaker:What anybody thinks when they walk into your house.
Speaker:'cause Brooke, who cares, because I have a whole keynote talk about
Speaker:quitting the shoulds, quitting the caress, who, and Right.
Speaker:And also who's coming into your house that isn't someone that
Speaker:you like and respect, you know?
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:Like anybody invited into your home is gonna love this about you.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, no, I love that you've made your, like you've turned what could
Speaker:have been or might have been in the past, a traditional dining room into.
Speaker:Like a more versatile space with a lot of like Isabelle's
Speaker:art supplies and a little desk.
Speaker:And yeah, you have the table in the middle, but like, who says
Speaker:you need to use that for dining?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And you know what, that little desk that's in there, nobody is using it.
Speaker:Like I don't, no.
Speaker:Use it to pay bills.
Speaker:Isabelle doesn't use it to do her homework.
Speaker:So slap a little sewing machine.
Speaker:Sewing machine on that puppy.
Speaker:And I have all those really cute baskets that I can just put scraps
Speaker:and that kind of stuff in there.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Go.
Speaker:I'm slapping a sewing machine right on that puppy, Brooke.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:I need to get the Cassio stand.
Speaker:Brooke, I have delegated Fernando to purchase the Cassio stand.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I've made several requests.
Speaker:I've made several requests to check in.
Speaker:How is the purchase of the Cassio stand going?
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, I don't have, how, how is it going?
Speaker:I don't have a Casio stand yet because like, I want him to like
Speaker:get the thing out and see like what kind of stand does it need?
Speaker:And he is like, oh, you can just order any stand.
Speaker:It's universal.
Speaker:And I'm like, I don't believe you.
Speaker:But even so could you just do that right.
Speaker:Then you order any stand.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:So like, but no.
Speaker:Yeah, I digress.
Speaker:Are you feel, are you feeling like, I mean, I know you said
Speaker:Jocelyn was playing guitar.
Speaker:Like, are you feeling like you are missing out on something because you don't
Speaker:feel like you have hobbies right now?
Speaker:Do you feel like you've let that part of yourself go?
Speaker:Or like what's, what's in, what else is inspiring you to feel like
Speaker:it's time to pick up something new or maybe pick up something old like
Speaker:piano and make it your own, versus like learning the classical music
Speaker:that maybe you didn't love as a child.
Speaker:Yeah, I think this is such a insightful question, Brooke.
Speaker:Oh, thank you.
Speaker:I think I'm the type of person like I like to be.
Speaker:I.
Speaker:Busy.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it's hard for me to relax, but because it's hard for me to relax, I
Speaker:often find myself just like, oh, okay, well I don't know what else to do so
Speaker:I'll just clean up the kitchen or I'll just do the laundry or I'll just do this.
Speaker:And I'm always kind of running around and spinning.
Speaker:But I would like it if I was doing something that was active that 'cause
Speaker:I have a little bit of this restless energy that something that was active,
Speaker:but it's not necessarily like productive.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Like it's something that's enjoyable like ski ball.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Ski ball, like ski ball.
Speaker:Like it all comes back to ski ball.
Speaker:Brooke.
Speaker:It it does.
Speaker:I, I, it's, I get to get out, like, so I guess that's why a lot of
Speaker:people play sports and stuff, right?
Speaker:Because you're doing something fun and you're moving around.
Speaker:I mean, so I guess yoga is a bit of a hobby for me.
Speaker:Sports and stuff.
Speaker:Sports, you know, that's why the people do the sports and stuff.
Speaker:Why the people do the sports, because yeah, you're moving your body.
Speaker:You're, you're, you know, so you're, You're using a lot of that energy.
Speaker:For good instead of just like, okay, well let me just spin
Speaker:around the house and tidy up.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or get so sucked into work again that you accidentally burn yourself out.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:'cause you don't like, I feel like that was something that I had a hard time
Speaker:with when I first became self-employed and we, when we started Curious and
Speaker:Company, I just, it was hard to relax, but if I didn't have something else to
Speaker:be doing, Again, it could be, you know, something fun or creative with my hands.
Speaker:I just fell back into work because it was there and it was easy for me to do.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And there was always more to do.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:But having something that feels like, um, you know, yes, there can
Speaker:be an end result that brings me joy versus being connected to my income.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:That can be really good to give your brain a break while still using that
Speaker:restless energy that you might have.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I like the idea of these hobbies that I'm talking about right now because
Speaker:it feels like, it's like I, if I wanted to like do a little piano like at 20
Speaker:minutes and for 20 minutes in the middle of the day, I could do that if I wanted
Speaker:to work on a little pouch project in the middle of the day, like I could do that.
Speaker:Whereas a hobby that's like golf, that's like a freaking day of your life.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Fishing, you know what I mean?
Speaker:Like these like really intense hobbies that require a lot of.
Speaker:Stuff and a lot of time is not something that I'm super interested in.
Speaker:Um, I I say that these things that you can just do in little, little spurts.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Nick has always liked fishing and he does fly fishing, which can
Speaker:be done at creeks around here.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And like, yes, he's accumulated all of the correct rods and
Speaker:equipment and gadgets and things.
Speaker:But it can also just be like a two hour thing, you know?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:He can go to a local creek and he does catch and release and he just likes it
Speaker:because it's just, it's forced like.
Speaker:Slow down, relax time.
Speaker:Yes, correct.
Speaker:Like you are just sitting there, not sitting, you're standing,
Speaker:usually waiting in some water.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Waiting, waiting for a waiting, waiting and waiting for, uh, you know, a fish.
Speaker:But there's nothing you can do to make the fishies come faster.
Speaker:I mean, I'm sure there's some strategies there, there, there
Speaker:are strategies, but Yeah.
Speaker:But you know what I mean?
Speaker:So that's something that he loves.
Speaker:Um, I was also recently reading Michelle Obama's lead book.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I've been listening to it.
Speaker:Gotta listen to that.
Speaker:And she talks in the first chapter, she talks about, um,
Speaker:how she has loved knitting.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And I'm gonna read a little quote from it.
Speaker:She says, I.
Speaker:In knitting, when you create the first stitch of a new project you cast on when
Speaker:an item is finished, you bind it off.
Speaker:Both of these actions I've found are incredibly satisfying.
Speaker:The bookends of something manageable and finite.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:They give me a sense of completion and a world that will always and
Speaker:forever feel chaotic and incomplete.
Speaker:Anytime your circumstances start to feel all consuming, I suggest you try going
Speaker:in the other direction toward the small.
Speaker:So she, you know, has this whole thing.
Speaker:Um, That she calls the power of small too, that ties into this,
Speaker:like knitting can feel just like a, you know, something small.
Speaker:It's little by little it, like you said, it does take a while, but sometimes
Speaker:that smallness is what reminds us.
Speaker:To slow down in the world.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:That when the world feels scary and just insurmountable, like all of the
Speaker:problems in the world, there's this little thing that you have control over.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:That can just change your whole mindset.
Speaker:So I love that.
Speaker:I learned, I.
Speaker:I learned to knit several years ago.
Speaker:My mother-in-law taught me and I made scarves for everyone I know new.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And then stopped knitting because I was like, okay, I'm done.
Speaker:I made all the scarves, but I have, there's a new, I guess at this
Speaker:point, it's like almost a year old, but there's like a new yarn fibers.
Speaker:Store right here in media.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, called Home Sew.
Speaker:And I've thought about maybe taking a class and me getting back into
Speaker:getting, do they also sew, doing sewing classes at that place?
Speaker:I think they might.
Speaker:We're gonna need to check it out into, for you.
Speaker:I need to check it out because I would love for the process to start not feeling
Speaker:frustrating, you know, like I feel like if I get frustrated earlier on, I'm be
Speaker:like, ah, forget this, this is too hard.
Speaker:But if I can go to a class or something, a little 1 0 1, that would be awesome.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or maybe the process of becoming frustrated is something like a good
Speaker:lesson to just I know, I know, Brooke.
Speaker:We don't like to be frustrated.
Speaker:No, but you're dishing.
Speaker:You're dishing out the wise nuggets today, Brooke.
Speaker:I feel like the wisdom.
Speaker:Did you take some sort of, I mean, wow.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:You know what I did this morning for the first?
Speaker:Did you time in weeks, did you?
Speaker:I went for a walk.
Speaker:That's I wonder list.
Speaker:Did it make me wiser?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:This morning I said the.
Speaker:Eh.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I think it's a hobby.
Speaker:It's something that, what, I mean, what is a hobby?
Speaker:What is the definition of a hobby?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Something that you do that you enjoy.
Speaker:Boop.
Speaker:I mean, television is my favorite hobby.
Speaker:Like watching television.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:And that's the thing.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I think what you and I are feeling right now is that maybe we are looking for some
Speaker:more creative hobbies, but there are.
Speaker:There are plenty of things that we do that could be called hobbies.
Speaker:And yes, I think I realized, because Graham and I haven't been
Speaker:taking our morning before school walks because there's no school.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And the kids aren't doing camp or anything.
Speaker:And we've just been having slow mornings.
Speaker:I've been really starting to feel sluggish.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:As much as I love our slow mornings and not needing to go anywhere this
Speaker:morning, it was pretty nice out.
Speaker:Wasn't gonna be too, too hot yet.
Speaker:And I said, guys, let's get dressed.
Speaker:Um, the problem is not problem, but Paige is a little slower.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And so Graham and I can't take our brisk walk that we had
Speaker:been doing, um, before and.
Speaker:So they kind of like, he played on the playground, Paige and I just kind of
Speaker:like walked laps around the school.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So we could check in with him and then they got tired and wanted to go home.
Speaker:And so we went home and I just continued.
Speaker:I walked around the block a few times.
Speaker:Great.
Speaker:And I only walked a mile and a half, but it was like, It was
Speaker:that head clearing that I needed.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:So yes, that is a hobby and yes, that's a hobby.
Speaker:It made, it made me wise today.
Speaker:It made you wise.
Speaker:I, it made me wise.
Speaker:I think I'm gonna make you, before we record every podcast, maybe we should do
Speaker:like, laps around my house or something.
Speaker:Oh, oh my gosh.
Speaker:That would be fun.
Speaker:Or maybe we need to walk.
Speaker:Walk uni's energy off.
Speaker:Maybe we need to start doing walks when I come to your house.
Speaker:Brooke, how much fun would that be if you got there and we took a walk together?
Speaker:That would, that would be really good.
Speaker:Yeah, because we could take a little notebook with us.
Speaker:'cause we do a lot of like our podcast planning when, when you first get there.
Speaker:But we could do a little walk and talk.
Speaker:Take a little notebook.
Speaker:Take Junie.
Speaker:I like this.
Speaker:See, but then this is us combining work with a hobby.
Speaker:So while it's good, we also need to make sure that we also, and, and that's fine.
Speaker:I, my thing is that I need to make sure I also have hobbies that are solely correct.
Speaker:Work related, you know?
Speaker:Correct.
Speaker:So, yes, but we can also do that.
Speaker:Okay, great.
Speaker:Um, and another fun one that my family loves, and again, it's quote unquote
Speaker:creative, but you don't necessarily, like you can follow a pattern.
Speaker:My family loves Pearler beads.
Speaker:You know the little, okay, I'm seeing milk beads seeing this written in the notes and
Speaker:I don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker:You don't know what they are?
Speaker:Oh, actually, I bet I do.
Speaker:I bet I do.
Speaker:I think I do Now they're these, they're the little I'm gonna
Speaker:show you on the, on the camera?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:They're just the little beads.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:That you put on the little grid thing.
Speaker:This is super descriptive, the little beads that you put on the
Speaker:little grid thing, but like it.
Speaker:It's such a relaxing activity because it has to be like Graham made some
Speaker:with his, um, favorite baseball logos.
Speaker:I'm showing you.
Speaker:You're not looking 'cause I'm writing it down.
Speaker:I'm writing it down.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:So like, he'll make his favorite baseball team logos and we, you can
Speaker:find patterns on the internet for color.
Speaker:These, wait a second.
Speaker:It's one of the things where you like, then you melt it.
Speaker:And it kind of like, yes.
Speaker:So then you iron it, there's like, it comes with wax paper and
Speaker:you iron it and then it melds it all together, melts and melds.
Speaker:And it's one of those things that Nick also finds super relaxing.
Speaker:Like he will get them out sometimes and just make like
Speaker:a little coaster or something.
Speaker:And if you don't wanna iron it when you're done, you just dump the
Speaker:beads and start over the next time.
Speaker:But it's one of those things like if you need something relaxing to do with
Speaker:your hands, I think the key for me is like, Doing something with my hands.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, is really.
Speaker:Important for my brain.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Like when Isabelle was little, I used to love Play-Doh.
Speaker:I used to love, oh yeah.
Speaker:Play-Doh.
Speaker:In fact, there would be times we had this little cupcake maker
Speaker:where it would make the cupcakes.
Speaker:Oh, I know it.
Speaker:I know it.
Speaker:Oh, that's right.
Speaker:I brought it over to, and I babysat one.
Speaker:And I loved that thing and I think I've told you before, like there's been time,
Speaker:'cause Isabelle would always smush my cupcakes and there would be times that
Speaker:she would go to bed and I would be like, I'm gonna make an intact cupcake
Speaker:and enjoy like every step of this process and not have somebody smush it.
Speaker:I really liked Play-Doh and Isabella and I.
Speaker:We went to, so my coworking space, align space, which, you know, I
Speaker:love had these coloring books there.
Speaker:And normally I don't like adult coloring books.
Speaker:I feel like they're stressful for some reason.
Speaker:But these adult colory books were, were lovely.
Speaker:And the markers were like these brush stroke kind of markers.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:That are very relaxing.
Speaker:So I ordered those and, um, you know, I, we just don't
Speaker:pick 'em up and do them enough.
Speaker:But that's another thing about these hobbies with the sewing.
Speaker:And the, uh, the piano.
Speaker:Like I want it to be something, it's almost like a Montessori
Speaker:feel where I want it to be around.
Speaker:And for Isabelle to be interested in it, especially with how she goes into
Speaker:the tween years and you know, the devices and all of this kind of stuff.
Speaker:Like, I want there to be really easy alternatives.
Speaker:It's almost like you need to, so just like talking specifically
Speaker:about your house here?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, because you do have that dining room slash kind of multipurpose room.
Speaker:It's almost like you just need to make a point to go in there
Speaker:for half an hour every day.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:And pick up something.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So whether it's the sewing machine, whether it's the keyboard, whether
Speaker:it's Play-Doh, like give yourself a dedicated half hour and we
Speaker:should all find ways to do this.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Like, I found my half hour this morning to go for a walk.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:I need to, you know, create time each week to do Alcohol Inc.
Speaker:Or some sort of drawing practice or other creative practice that is just like
Speaker:I have that dedicated time set aside.
Speaker:So since you have that amazing room set up with everything kind of Yeah.
Speaker:Somewhat in place until Fernando gets the Casio stand.
Speaker:Oh my god.
Speaker:You can kind of just say for half an hour every day, I'm gonna go in this
Speaker:room and see what comes of it, you know?
Speaker:Right, right.
Speaker:I like that.
Speaker:I like that a lot.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:That is your assignment.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And so my to-do is also, I need to get the sewing machine.
Speaker:So Ella's leaving for college soon, and I think they said they know where it is,
Speaker:so I'm gonna grab it before she goes.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So listeners tell us what are your hobbies?
Speaker:Are your hobbies?
Speaker:What do you, what do you like to do that is not at all work related.
Speaker:Whether it has a creative end result or not.
Speaker:Like what do you do for yourself when you need to clear your head?
Speaker:Um, a lot of people, I know it's like exercise, but what are some of those other
Speaker:hobbies that we might not have touched on or that we might not know about?
Speaker:There's so many cool creative ventures that, that I wanna learn.
Speaker:I wanna hear from our listeners.
Speaker:I know, I bet they've got some really cool stuff going on.
Speaker:I bet they do.
Speaker:All right, everyone, we're gonna take a break and we'll be right back.
Speaker:Amanda, we're back.
Speaker:We are back.
Speaker:And I think you've already touched on this a little bit, and I've mentioned
Speaker:that I'm a little bit jealous, but tell us what's sparking joy for you right now?
Speaker:I mean, Brooke, it's very simple.
Speaker:It's alone time.
Speaker:Alone time.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:You know me, I'm an introvert.
Speaker:I need decompression time.
Speaker:I need alone time.
Speaker:I need thinking time.
Speaker:Like I feel like my life at home is just like one interruption after another.
Speaker:It's very rare.
Speaker:I'm in my house by myself, which always isabelle's there, my mom's
Speaker:there, or Fernando's there, or the dog needs to go in or out or whatever.
Speaker:And yes, I can go to my coworking space.
Speaker:But you know, it's usually for, you know, a few hours at a time or whatever.
Speaker:But I'm just really, what's sparking joy is alone time and really,
Speaker:really realizing that I need that and I need it for extended periods.
Speaker:And I'm excited because I actually have.
Speaker:Several speaking engagements coming up.
Speaker:Um, I have Virginia in August and where am I going in September?
Speaker:I am going, I have Orlando in September and I have Charlotte in October.
Speaker:And for each one of those, look at me.
Speaker:And so each one of those speaking engagements, usually they'll cover one
Speaker:night in the hotel, but I am getting myself a second night in the hotel.
Speaker:Yeah, just like adding on a little retreat.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Because a lot of times mm-hmm.
Speaker:These hotels, they're really beautiful locations, you know, in terms of they
Speaker:have, you know, lots of amenities and that sort of thing, so, I think that's
Speaker:gonna be really life changing for me.
Speaker:Yeah, that's gonna be great.
Speaker:And like honestly, one night in a hotel is not even, you know, 24 hours because
Speaker:you can't check in till the afternoon.
Speaker:You check out in the morning and it's more of just like an
Speaker:in and out kind of transaction.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I think you giving yourself that extra time is really awesome.
Speaker:You're kind of, you're making use of.
Speaker:Of the time that you're already being given because of this speaking
Speaker:engagement and extending it so you don't have to pack up and leave.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:You can just kind of camp out for a little bit in a nice location.
Speaker:It's gonna be great.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And I am, yeah.
Speaker:I think this is a good reminder too that, um, Nick has some time off coming in,
Speaker:coming up in August, and it's a week that we won't have our babysitter anymore.
Speaker:Um, and I am thinking like he's probably gonna spend some
Speaker:time at his parents' house.
Speaker:They have a pool and I might ask if I can spend a few days at home, or, this
Speaker:is me asking while he's listening.
Speaker:Hi.
Speaker:I would like to, I would like to spend some time.
Speaker:I'm loon.
Speaker:Hello?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Um, because yeah, I, I need a little bit of that.
Speaker:Creative, rejuvenation.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And quiet.
Speaker:Quiet.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:My brain needs so much.
Speaker:Quiet it.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:It's amazing.
Speaker:I mean even, yeah.
Speaker:So I am just realizing, and I.
Speaker:Being much more strategic about giving myself that time.
Speaker:And even just stuff like thinking about the business, I have a lot of
Speaker:big decisions that I wanna make in the business right now in terms of what
Speaker:certain things I'm leaning into and if I wanna hire help and you know, and
Speaker:I need to think about those things.
Speaker:And so I've actually, I went to Staples while I was here, bought
Speaker:like really pretty Post-its, and Jolin has a blank wall here and I
Speaker:might do a little bit of post-it.
Speaker:Brainstorming.
Speaker:So I'm post, post-its, post-its Love, some colorful post-its
Speaker:love, some colorful post-its.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:They also sparked joy.
Speaker:So what are you doing?
Speaker:Yes, they sparked joy.
Speaker:What are you doing to do your future self a favor?
Speaker:Okay, so this is a tool that I learned about a few months ago.
Speaker:I, I actually forget where I learned about it, but it's called, it's.
Speaker:An online tool called Goblin Tools.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:That is it.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Um, and it is basically, I'm gonna read the little description here
Speaker:because that it just sums it up.
Speaker:Goblin Tools is a collection of small, simple, single task tools, mostly designed
Speaker:to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult.
Speaker:So it's just this very simple website.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:The, the way I discovered it is if you go to the tab that says Magic
Speaker:to do, um, first of all, I like that because it's a reference to the show.
Speaker:Pippin Magic to Do is a song, um, anyway.
Speaker:Oh.
Speaker:Um, but it's basically magic, like to do as in mm-hmm.
Speaker:A to do task.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And you can add a task.
Speaker:So like, I did this once and it was like, um, I wanted to see what.
Speaker:The result would be, so it's basically using AI chat, G P D type of technology.
Speaker:And it's coming up with a to-do list based on my end task.
Speaker:Okay, so I'm gonna type in clean the bathroom because that is something
Speaker:I need to do, and I can choose how much breaking down I need.
Speaker:So do I need just a couple, um, specifics of how to break down this somewhat
Speaker:overwhelming task to me right now?
Speaker:Or do I need it like mm-hmm.
Speaker:Extra broken down.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:So I'm gonna choose like a little more towards extra.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:And then we're gonna click the button and.
Speaker:It is going to, I'm then gonna click breakdown items, so it comes
Speaker:up with this little magic wand.
Speaker:Okay?
Speaker:And it's working.
Speaker:It takes a couple seconds, but it's going to break down, like step-by-step.
Speaker:Gather cleaning supplies, remove all items from surfaces.
Speaker:Sweep or vacuum the floor.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Remove trash and replace trash bags.
Speaker:Scrub the toilet with toilet clean toilet cleaner.
Speaker:So this is like if your brain is on overdrive and you don't know
Speaker:where to begin with something.
Speaker:This is such a fun tool.
Speaker:And it's also really interesting, like I did it for a work related task in
Speaker:terms of like submitting my planners to print and it had some pretty, um, like.
Speaker:Really on par terminology and things in terms of like how the
Speaker:print and design process works.
Speaker:Yeah, I was really impressed.
Speaker:There's also a tab where you can do a formalize so you can turn, um, oh.
Speaker:Have you any text, like you can make it.
Speaker:Yeah, you can make me more professional, more formal.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Or you can turn something into bullet points.
Speaker:Some people, like, a lot of times I get very wordy in emails
Speaker:and I realize, you know what?
Speaker:This needs to be a bulleted list, so this would turn it into those bullets for you.
Speaker:So it's really fun.
Speaker:There's also a tab where you can go to judge and say, am I misreading the tone?
Speaker:The tone of this, he can enter some text and then it will judge it for you and
Speaker:let you know, like, yes, this is snarky.
Speaker:No, you are what?
Speaker:You know, this is polite.
Speaker:That's amazing.
Speaker:I know it's really fun.
Speaker:So it's not necessarily like, uh, there's an also an.
Speaker:An estimator, just tell me how long this task is going to take.
Speaker:So look into it.
Speaker:If nothing else, just like bookmark this.
Speaker:Remember it for the future.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Do your future self a favor by like getting familiar with this.
Speaker:So the next time you have a totally overwhelming task, go
Speaker:to Goblin Tools and see what it.
Speaker:How it tells you to break things down.
Speaker:It's really fun.
Speaker:I see you writing it down, Amanda.
Speaker:I'm writing it down.
Speaker:I'm writing it down.
Speaker:I know you're, yeah.
Speaker:Which always crack i'll, because I think I played with it a little bit
Speaker:when you first told me about it, and then I just forgot about it.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I really wanna go back and play with it again.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Because I mean that's, it's really interesting.
Speaker:Yeah, that's what I mean, even, um, Last night, you know, last night when I was
Speaker:teaching my Kaari class, like the name of the game, a lot of times with decluttering
Speaker:is just bite sizing everything.
Speaker:Like bite-size, bite-size.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Bite-size.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Like if I'm helping somebody declutter exactly their bathroom and I take
Speaker:all of their bathroom stuff and dump it on the floor, they're like, Ah,
Speaker:but then if I divide it up into hair care, skincare, dental, and they're
Speaker:like, oh, okay, here's four things of floss, uh, four toothbrushes.
Speaker:Like my brain can handle that, right?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So I think like bite size is the name of the game.
Speaker:It is, this will definitely bite-size things for you if you're
Speaker:too overwhelmed to do it yourself.
Speaker:So we'll share.
Speaker:As always, we share everything in the show notes, so this link will be there
Speaker:and all the other, um, things that we've chatted about will be there as well.
Speaker:And don't forget, listeners to sign up for our Patreon.
Speaker:Yes, we've got the different levels, bonuses coming your way.
Speaker:Soon And, um, just do it.
Speaker:It's really fun and it's a way to support the podcast.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:It's so fun.
Speaker:I love our levels.
Speaker:They're so cutely named.
Speaker:I know.
Speaker:We're so, we're so, I know.
Speaker:We're so, we're so cute.
Speaker:We're so cute.
Speaker:No, what's the word?
Speaker:Witty.
Speaker:We're so witty.
Speaker:Alright, well I had so much fun with you today.
Speaker:You were dropping the wisdom bombs like nobody's business and That's right.
Speaker:I think pretty successful in our remote recording.
Speaker:It was a lot of fun.
Speaker:And, um, yeah, we're gonna see how it sounds.
Speaker:Yeah, see how it sounds, but, um, all right everybody.
Speaker:We'll talk to you soon.
