Turns out Valerie's hubcap bandit from last week wasn't actually a thing. Reggie can't figure out her world since rearranging her bedroom and she may or may not have had an attempted break-in. We turn to bad habits often to help us deal with stress. Overeating, overcouching, overworking, over everything. BBQ potato chops and tears are Regina's way of coping. But we can have more fulfilling lives if we build good habits and change the bad ones. We have tips for how to make good habits stick (don't focus on changing everything in one fell swoop-you'll fail at all of them). Plus, many interruptions from Valerie's new kitten who has many names, and you can still buy Tang! Who knew? Sponsored by Lash Catastrophe, the lash lengthening serum sold on Facebook by women you went to high school with.
Valerie is riled up about Texas' latest abomination against women: the fetal tissue burial law. Regina's going to PF Chang's. Amy Winters, a Krav Maga instructor and the host of the podcast First-Person Fighter, joins us and shares how learning the Israeli self defense boosted her confidence, improved her relationships, and changed her life. She shares her journey from taking a class on a whim to now teaching combatives and self defenses to newbies. Find out how men and women approach classes differently, whether or not mace is helpful, and if steaks actually help swelling. Sponsored by Celebrity White Supremacist, tune in each week to see which celebrity pulls off a white cloak better: Tila Tequila or Stephen Baldwin.
Perhaps the best diet of all involves letting go of diet mentality altogether. Sounds scary right?Reggie read the book Intuitive Eating and gives us the skinny on how to be cool with your body no matter what it looks like, plus tips for eliminating restrictive eating, making peace with food, and insights on nutritionists. Help Wanted loves Billy Eichner; weekends are for no bras; the Food Network is everyone's favorite; and Valerie cleans her bathroom naked. This episode sponsored by BoxBox, the subscription service that delivers a box full of boxes direct to your door each month.
Returning home from a trip can be an adjustment, and it's normal to feel out of sorts. Frustration with your current life and boredom could be the cause for post-travel depression. Vacations can shake us out of our routine and prepare us to take a look at whether or not we want to make changes in our lives. If you're always returning from a trip depressed, take a look at your life and see what you can do to make it more fulfilling. Find gratitude in your travels and appreciate them for what they are: valid and important moments of your life. Also, RIP John McLaughlin, Valerie worked at an adult video store a million years ago and hates gorgonzola cheese. Reggie is a fan of scary books, gyros, and a sharp cheddar. This episode sponsored by Sally Sam's Juniper Jam, the perfect gift for people you'd rather not give anything to.
Tabby Story and Katy Troy, wellness advisors from Austin's Herb Bar join Valerie and Reggie to teach us all about herbal medicinal goods: essential oils, flower essences, stones, tinctures, and other alternative new agey therapies and how they can help us refocus our energies, bring us back to the present moment, and may be used as natural remedies for Regina's and Valerie's personal ailments. Plus good tips to balance those chakras and cleanse your crystals and stones. Sponsored by DropBoxers, a fart cloud file storage solution.
With the ease of seeking information from WebMD comes additional anxiety. In the name of finding out more information about your symptoms, you could actually cause yourself to be sick with panic and anxiety. There are no win-win situations when it comes to being proactive about your health using the world wide web's symptom checkers. There are a couple of kinds of health-related anxiety: obsessively checking symptoms and avoiding dealing with issues altogether, including not watching television about medicine (good thing ER is no longer on the air). People who obsessively use the Internet to diagnose themselves and convince themselves they have a disease are called cyberchondriacs. Valerie is probably a cyberchondriac. Probably. Regina has tips for using the Internet for good when it comes to health. If you have a diagnosed medical condition you might be able to find support from other people with the same condition using Internet resources. Hernia is a stupid word, everyone has a vitamin D deficiency, and Regina used to play sand volleyball.
Urban farmer Christine Giordano joins Help Wanted to talk backyard poultry: hens, ducks, and roosters and how she became an owner of menagerie. Why are chicken eggs different colors? Are chickens vegetarians or meat eaters? Do ducks have feelings? Plus Valerie and Regina check in about Orlando, alligator attacks, and the I-35 rock thrower, and their related anxiety. For more on all things urban farming, chickens, ducks, and more, check out Christine's blog Camp Farm.
Radio host, comedy performer, dancer, and blogger Carissa McAtee (aka Carissa Jade/Jaded), joins Regina and Valerie to talk openly about body image issues and her experiences with disordered eating. She talks about being preoccupied with her own body image starting from a young age as a dancer, describes how eating disorders became a bonding activity between her friends, and shares about her weight fluctuation through the years, nearly making it on Biggest Loser, and what therapies worked for her to feel healthy about her own body (such as dialetical behaviorial therapy and radical acceptance).
Comparing yourself to other people has never been easier now that Becky cn post all day long about her good hair on social media. Even the healthiest people are apt to compare themselves when we're constantly viewing feeds of successes. But life's not a race or a competition or what have you. Regina has tips for avoiding comparisons and tells us all about her new phone and the Best Buy metalhead who sold it to her. Valerie shares about procrastinating and a bad psychic who farts a lot. Plus, Keanu, and a short synopsis of the movie Single White Female.
Pet adoption counselor and owner of creatively named pets, Ariel Greenspoon talks about fur balls, hair balls, dog balls and everything in between: guinea pigs vs. rabbits, fox attacks, gypsies, spaying and neutering, and what to expect when you adopt a pet. Valerie and Regina recount their journey to Waffle House, hair in food and nonworking jukeboxes.
Comedian Wyatt Tall joins Reg and Val to chat about the New York Times best seller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, an expert folder and possible sociopath. Wyatt shares his experience following the KonMari Method and explains how the process of minimizing his belongings and keeping only items that bring him joy has led him to make positive change in his life. Also, personifying and showing gratitude for your possessions; how to pronounce feng shui, theater, and umbrella; the rhythm method; excessive blenders; spotting Kurt Russell at SXSW; and tips for DIY aromatherapy.
Regina talks about codependency, the "disease of the lost self," and recovery from it, based on her own experiences and the resources she's found helpful such as Melody Beattie's book Codependency No More. What does codependent behavior look like? Valerie uses this opportunity to figure out whether or not she is codependent. Regina thinks Brangelina are a little unhealthy and Valerie, wary of the altruistic, dares to ask the question on on all ourminds...Mother Teresa: nice gal or codependent? Plus, Ash Wednesday, "kind of" Catholicism, Uruguayan massage therapists named Jorge, and panties vs. undies vs. knickers.
We treat sleep like an unwanted houseguest inconveniencing our lives, but it's damn important. In this episode we have tips for better sleep as suggested by the National Sleep Foundation and notorious rich and privileged sleeper: Gwyneth Paltrow. Things that encourage sleep: night time rituals (freaky), adhering to a schedule (boring), avoiding naps and corndogs (what is the purpose of life?). Good advice for anyone who suffers from insomnia or who could just stand to take better care of her/himself. We finally learn what a duvet cover is and what makes Egyptian cotton so Egyptian.
Did you know that sugar gunks up your organ systems? And that sugar actually has no health benefit? And did you know that Valerie once accidentally killed her college roommate's fish? Sarah Marie Curry, a sugar free aficionado and author of the blog Unsweetened Sarah Marie, informs us on all things sugar, explains why it's bad news, and shares her experience kicking the stuff. Regina informs us there are 56 names for the word sugar. If you're not quite ready to kick sugar to the curb, Sarah Marie shares tips for easing in slowly to find out what works best for you.
Are you overwhelmed because you say yes to everything? Are you more disappointed when friends don't cancel plans? Do you feel busy constantly because you overcommit to plans? Do you tell white lies because saying "no" to a commitment is too scary? We talk about this and more in this episode of Help Wanted. Valerie hates The Hobbit but likes the many meals a hobbit eats. Are dens still a thing? Does any living happen in a living room? Regina shares tips to stop feeling overwhelmed from Katie Den Oudin, and halfway reveals the identity of her imaginary tv boyfriend, a guy named Brian from Staten Island who sometimes wears a sports coat. Part of avoiding overcommitment is knowing what your hell yeses are and your hell nos. Valerie's number one hell no: book clubs. Valerie shares tips on how to say "NO" gracefully. (Shout "Nein!" and then curtsy) followed by a discussion on hug rape, and is hiring a French maid helpful? Or another point of stress?