Edit Your Life: Our Favorite Episodes From 2015

Asha and I both agree: launching and recording Edit Your Life has been a major highlight of 2015. It's been so refreshing to become novice explorers again. This podcast has reminded us why, years ago, we embarked on our wacky Internet journeys and we're so grateful that you've joined us on the adventure! We're living our mantra and are on a recording break for the holidays, so we thought it would be fun to each share 5 of our favorite episodes from 2015. We’d love to hear your favorites, too! Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

To listen, just click the orange Play button for the respective episodes below, or fire up your favorite podcast app on your phone. (Note: Download episodes so you can listen without needing an Internet connection or mobile minutes or data.) Also noteworthy: all of our shows are clean language-wise -- though we liberally use the word crap! -- so the episodes are suitable for, say, listening in the car or hanging out around the house!

ASHA'S FAVORITE 5 EPISODES:

1. Ep. 17: Guilt-Free Family Get-Togethers. My favorite episode so far is one of our most recent. In it, we talked about the added complications around the holidays once we had kids. I loved that this episode was deeply personal for us in our different ways. I also hope it gets across what we always feel, which is that sharing our own stories is worthwhile not because we’ve figured it all out, but because it’s good to know that everyone has stuff to figure out.

2. Ep. 7: Juggling Social Commitments. The idea for this episode came from a listener (Kelsey!), which makes this a favorite. I felt like we were talking to her while we recorded. This topic, too, was such a big one for me because it’s been a struggle for my family, and getting to talk about it in a structured way with Christine was totally wonderful.

3. Ep. 6: Serendipity Space. I love this episode because this was my favorite idea to write about in Minimalist Parenting. It sums up why my family keeps after-school activities and weekend plans to a minimum. Adding pauses to our schedule has been one of the biggest improvements we’ve made to our day-to-day family life.

4. Ep. 14: Weekday Dinner Solutions. My last two favorite episodes are practical, and both are focused on food. I love cooking and eating, and I also have two picky kids, so family meals have occupied a massive part of my parenting brainspace over the years. Recording this episode reminded me how much they’ve grown in their willingness to try new things, and their appreciation for the work that goes into keeping everyone fed. Also, Christine's “nibble plate” tip is genius.

5. Ep. 4: School Lunch Solutions. I was a lunch-packing grumbler for YEARS. But I finally got over it and all it took was some organization, the right gear, and an attitude adjustment. It was fun to consolidate my thoughts and share them, because I know that packing school lunch is a pain-in-the-butt for so many parents.

CHRISTINE'S FAVORITE 5 EPISODES:

1. Ep. 1: Conquering Procrastination. Oh, our very first episode -- it will always have a special place in my heart! We tackled a topic that so many people wrestle with, with the kindness and acceptance that I believe is a signature of Asha and my partnership. Note: Our first 5-6 episodes sound great volume-wise everywhere except in your car, so listen anywhere except your car!

2. Ep. 6: Serendipity Space. Time is arguably one of the biggest pain points I hear about from parents and I love that this episode is all about creating serendipity space -- empty bits of time with NO PLANS. We all can use more of that. Related, Asha is boss at coining terms; “serendipity space” is just one of her many gems.

3. Ep. 8: Finding Your Fringe Hours. I’m going to beat the self-care-is-not-selfish/you-matter drum until I break that drum! But I also know how challenging it can feel to find time for yourself. I love this interview with Jessica Turner; Jessica is so cheerful and energetic and down to earth. Her work has helped me evaluate how I use little snatches of time in my day (sometimes poorly...hello, Pet Rescue), and to use them in ways that are mindful and nourishing.

4. Ep. 15: Dare to Live Better. I loved this conversation with Erin Dullea so much. Erin has such a kind and calm demeanor and her words during the interview impacted me deeply. In fact, this interview inspired me to be brave and initiate an extremely difficult conversation with a family member. As I predicted, the dialog has been one-way, but I’m OK with that. The point was for me to be brave and honest and I know my work is done on that front. I literally felt a huge weight lift off of me when I sent the letter.

5. Ep. 17: Guilt-Free Family Get-Togethers. Oh man this episode -- I’ve listened to it several times since we published it! Episode 17 gets to the heart of some major issues families struggle with and I hope you’ll feel inspired to tweak your current formula,if your current formula isn’t working for you.

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