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Episode 3 - Decor Chaos (Holiday Edition)
19 Plays5 months ago
The holidays are magical… but the lights, the music, the clutter, the noise—sometimes it feels like a sensory tornado. This episode dives into the chaos of holiday décor, overstimulation, and the pressure to make everything look perfect while maintaining your sanity.
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Anecdotes, Questions etc. - TheRealTIPodcast@gmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Setting the Tone
00:00:01
Speaker
Stories we grew up with Hard takes we probably shouldn't share Laughter that comes too easy And conversations that go a little deeper than planned Pour yourself a cup and settle in This is Coffee Talk
00:00:25
Speaker
Welcome back to Thoughts Interrupted, the show where we try to make sense of everyday chaos and usually fail, but in a very entertaining way. I'm Kristen, and she's Melanie.
00:00:36
Speaker
And today we're diving into a topic that personally attacks us every single year, holiday decor chaos. Right. If you've ever opened up your holiday storage bins and felt immediate regret, this episode is for you.
Social Media's Influence on Holiday Decor
00:00:52
Speaker
Okay, let's just start with the pressure.
00:00:55
Speaker
Holiday decor has turned into like a full-blown aesthetic competition, mostly on social media. It's like every influencer's home looks like a winter catalog. Yeah. There's this mental load. It's this feeling like you need, and well, I don't know about anybody else, but me personally, like I need color coordinated ornaments, like matching stockings, themed wrapping paper, like not every year, but you know, I do. And you do.
00:01:28
Speaker
do. Yeah. Well, and and then also like, yeah, it is
00:01:35
Speaker
And then also, like, i don't know, why do we chase that perfect look even knowing that it's a trap, you know? And, like, can we, can I give myself permission to embrace sort of an imperfect decor and celebrate, like, a lived-in look, you know? Absolutely not.
00:01:57
Speaker
I
00:02:00
Speaker
I mean, I'm trying. i mean, I'm trying. i'm trying to be normal. Normal is boring. don't know. Normal is boring, but also I'm boring. Okay, but let's let's go back. Let's talk about this. so Okay.
00:02:16
Speaker
We do, like, social media, it's a thing that, it yeah, it's the beast that we live among. Like, it's everywhere. And... due to it being the holiday season. I mean, and even before the holiday season, let's be real, like it was way, it was probably start of October. I already had started seeing the viral posts about, oh, you know, the the tree from last year that sold out, you know, is is in stock. Get it now before it's gone.
00:02:47
Speaker
and I'm like, oh my gosh. Yeah, there was like a viral upside down tree thing where it's like you flip it or something. That's dumb. It is dumb. Like just get a real like regular tree. doesn't even have to be real.
00:03:01
Speaker
Is that the one where it flips upside down to store? Yes. Okay, then I'll take that back. That thing's pretty cool I thought, no, because they have ones that like hang from the ceiling and are literally just upside down. And I'm like, that's weird. And also, how do you do that? Do you have to like do a whole construction scenario?
00:03:24
Speaker
I don't. I mean, go into a a beam, I guess, you know, a support beam. and and like Well, then you have to find one. you yeah you have to have one in the area you normally put a tree. Because if you don't, then you have to find a better place for it.
00:03:39
Speaker
Can we also talk about, real fast, this is going to be a tangent, because i know we did not discuss this at all.
Design and Practicality in Holiday Decor
00:03:47
Speaker
no Can we talk about how You can tell when a man has designed a house versus a woman. And I mean, and I'm not talking about like furniture. I'm talking about the actual architecture where like my house, there's not a space that would be like, oh, this is the spot you would put a Christmas tree.
00:04:13
Speaker
It doesn't exist. And it's stupid. Yeah. i'm We don't have one of those either. I mean, there's some corners, but they're weird. And and um and when you started saying that, I thought, I was like, oh, well, you know, our Simi Valley house had that that toilet that was all pink and you had to put the seat down in order to flush it. And I was like...
00:04:36
Speaker
That's definitely something maybe a woman designed. Well, everything in that, everything was pink. The carpet was pink, yeah. Well, I mean the carpet, yes, but like the tile, the sink, the toilet, the tub, everything was pink.
00:04:51
Speaker
I don't remember that. I remember the toilet. Yeah, no. I mean, we would not just have just the pink toilet. I think we had to replace that toilet. Like we had to find another pink toilet to replace that one. Why did we have to find another pink one?
00:05:05
Speaker
Because it wouldn't go because everything else in there was pink. I mean, white goes with pink. like i don't Not if all of the time. Okay. We've really strayed far from holiday decor chaos.
00:05:18
Speaker
um We're talking about pink toilets. ah That's okay. I mean, I feel like it goes with the whole when a man versus a woman makes a house.
00:05:28
Speaker
I just remember when that house sold, driving by and Like they were redoing everything. And I'm like, oh, there's all the pink. There's the pink toilet. In the in the big in the big ah dumpster. You know, I'm like, oh, memories.
00:05:47
Speaker
Memories. oh Okay, anyway. But yeah, okay. So what were we talking about before? Well, okay. So we were talking about... treess Weird Christmas trees. Not a fan of the ones that hang upside down. But the ones that flip upside down, I guess, is kind of cool for I don't know what reason. But, like, whatever. That's fine. I think the idea is that you're you don't have to fluff the the branches. Yeah.
00:06:17
Speaker
They just flip like upside down. And then when you're ready, you flip them back and then they're perfect. Does that make sense? Maybe I'm wrong. guess. I'm just thinking of storage. Should we look it up and see like what the actual draw is?
00:06:32
Speaker
you agree Yeah, I mean, let's do that. That's fine. Because I'm having a hard time. like Unless you have one of those very cool houses where you have attic access from like your hallway and you open a door and it's right there or like through a bedroom, which that kind of creeps me out.
00:06:50
Speaker
I remember when we were looking at houses before we bought this one. And it wasn't even in Texas. It was in a different state. But... like there would be um one of the walls of like the kids rooms or like, you know, secondary rooms, just this extra door that led into this attic space. And I'm like, for some creeper to be like crawling in there and setting up shop. No, thank you. Yeah. That's where my brain goes. Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:20
Speaker
Okay. It says flip your tree. Oh, Okay. Well, what doesn't.
00:07:33
Speaker
Our exclusive patented flip trees are designed to save time. You can devote to making unforgettable memories, which is big um thing to say. Experience the magic of a flip tree. Simplify your Christmas reassembly and get your tree up in minutes without the any heavy lifting.
00:07:52
Speaker
So essentially, actually, I don't know why it's it's done upside down. It doesn't really say. The way it looks, though, it looks like literally um it's just upside down and then you push a button and and it flips. But it's not like, yeah, the... the the the branches are kind of like gravity makes them kind of go up when they're upside down right and then they flip they get they go back down but like it's not like I can't imagine and it's also on rollers so it's like on an office chair
00:08:30
Speaker
It looks like the feet look like an office chair. and so Yeah, i'm I'm having a hard time with that because I'm sure they upcharge.
00:08:41
Speaker
What's the price on that thing? Okay, let's see. um There are different ones because there's different light variations like um that you can have on there theyre because they're all lit. Give me like something that's like at least $500. Okay.
00:08:55
Speaker
Like maybe seven, seven. Yeah. It's yeah. You're way off. It's they're all right now. They're on sale. No, I meant the $1,500, $1,600. Oh my gosh. Okay. so that's normally
00:09:09
Speaker
That's dumb. Some of these are $2,200. Yeah. I mean, there's one that's like $1,500. Let's see. The most expensive one least expensive one is the California baby redwood flip tree. And it is normally $1,900, but on sale for $1,300, you save $600. And there's free shipping.
Traditions and Emotional Significance
00:09:31
Speaker
But remember, Melanie, this tree saves you precious precious minute minutes minutes because literally it takes me two minutes to put all of my three sections together
00:09:49
Speaker
I mean, you need those 10 minutes-ish to, like, yeah I don't know, be with family. No. Make memories. It takes me two minutes. it's Okay. Well, you need those two minutes to make memories with your family.
00:10:03
Speaker
and the The memories are of us yelling at one another, let's be honest. Yeah. No, that does not belong there. i know you want to help in the creative process, but please don't. like Do you remember we used to put like tinsel on the tree and there'd be a clumps of tinsel? like Well, that was, I'm sure, us like going, woohoo, and just throwing it up there. know Mom would be over there like you know placing singular like tinsel strands. Do they even sell tinsel anymore? i haven't seen it. It's probably a choking hazard now. I'm sure. Honestly, with my cats, it would be. they'd be i I'd be in the veterinary hospital because Lionel would have eaten like a whole clump of tinsel.
00:10:48
Speaker
He eats cords. I have to put everything away. like My house is so much cleaner with these animals.
00:10:55
Speaker
Anyway. Let's get back to feeling like you need color-coordinated ornaments, yeah matching stockings, and themed wrapping paper, which again, I've already said I do all of the above.
00:11:10
Speaker
I'm in the all of the above category on that one. And that's a hill I'll die on. I will, I'll say this. Your house always looks so good.
00:11:22
Speaker
yeah Thank you. You're welcome. No, it's really, it's very Pinterest-y, like, aesthetically pleasing. um My house, not so much. but Although, i will say it's because my husband insists on having, like, his artwork up on the walls, and his art is very... Eclectic.
00:11:47
Speaker
Eclectic. Yeah. and I was going to say you have an eclectic. Yeah. You have an eclectic household. It's just a different vibe. Yeah. I, but I would love to have your vibe.
00:12:01
Speaker
I would love to have like neutral tones, but you know, whatever pick our battles, you know, painted your cabinets like turquoise.
00:12:12
Speaker
That's true. ye or That was that's an example of hyper fixation. Yeah.
00:12:19
Speaker
Is it a regret? Yeah. I mean, if you if you look at it from afar, it looks great. a Monet. Yeah. ah yeah To quote Clueless, you know. Yeah.
00:12:33
Speaker
It's a Monet. um No, it looks great from afar. And if you squint and, um but when you're close up, it's like you see all of the smears on the cabinet that, and here's the thing. I used regular wall paint to paint these cabinets. Like it wasn't, I don't know what kind of paint you're supposed to use. And also they needed three coats of this blue paint, this teal paint.
00:12:58
Speaker
to do it and it took me a month and then afterwards it looked pristine when I first did it um and now there's like scrape marks from where the dogs have like got up there and so and like with their nails and just scraped it but it peels just right off of the existing oh thing because I probably didn't sand it well enough before I painted It's a whole thing, you know, and um I think if I had to do it over again, one, I wouldn't paint it myself. And two, um I would definitely have like a company come in and just replace everything.
00:13:34
Speaker
But that's another story for another time. Yeah. Okay. Well, i was going to say, i have gone through going back to just like the color coordinated stuff.
00:13:45
Speaker
I have gone through different Christmas themes Like, depending on, like, the houses I've been in um Like, I remember in our Simi house, when i when i it was just me there, i had the color scheme that I had there was um blue, gold, and white, I guess. Blue, gold, and white.
00:14:11
Speaker
I think I was trying to get, like, the Hanukkah colors in with everything else, but it was like, oh, you know, just...
00:14:21
Speaker
ands up um I don't know I don't remember why but I was really just drawn to like the blue golds and whites and or in silver too yeah for sure i remember the Simi house dad had those um icicle lights that were like blue and white and it looked very Jewish yes yeah I don't remember those See, I don't remember a lot of things. Isn't that funny? I remember I have such detailed memories, like from when I was like three or four, like bits and pieces.
00:14:53
Speaker
But so many times you'll be like, do you remember this? And I'm like, nope. then That did not get stuck in the memory file bank. i don't know. It's so funny. My problem is that I remember things that didn't happen.
00:15:07
Speaker
so It's only through this podcast that I'm realizing that my whole childhood was like... False false memories? False memories, yeah. Okay, well, this year's color... Well, not this year. It's been the same for like several years, but we have a definite like red, green...
00:15:29
Speaker
gold and a little bit of white here and there like a more traditional more traditional which i think fits with my style i am i've been i have been no i've been described like my style has been described as very transitional okay um so that mix of traditional and kind of i mean i wouldn't say modern but it's nothing i don't have anything in here that's like modern It's all very, yeah.
00:16:00
Speaker
I just, I like the nostalgia of Christmas and like the look of it. um So yeah, I have some cute little things and i just figure if I keep consistent, then, you know, it'll be like, oh, this is how we grew up, you know?
00:16:21
Speaker
I don't know. I like the consistency. I like that too. Yeah. Maybe because we lacked such consistency like ever like in our lives. There was none. Like our entire life. Yeah. yeah And I think that ties into like my, our feelings.
00:16:40
Speaker
I'll say our, because I feel like, you know, you feel the same way about our, or the way we were brought up. But for me, or I i should say for me, I guess with with my own kids, That's kind of why I chase. And it's not even the perfect look. It's more of like just a consistent look. But like this is – I want them – you know, this is what Christmas was like. I want them to have those memories. um Yeah. I mean, – so You know, I know that that chasing perfection can be a trap, but it's it's not necessarily the the perfection i'm I'm chasing after so much as it's just the consistency that we lacked growing up.
00:17:25
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. I want to say we had fun. i mean, we did get double holidays. Because of Hanukkah? Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:37
Speaker
I mean, and we didn't really dive that much. I would be like a book. No, i I mean, I remember. Do you have a menorah at home?
00:17:51
Speaker
i do.
00:17:54
Speaker
I do currently. what happened your dad's What happened to dad's old menorah or like our old menorah? has – my gosh. i mean, I don't know. I'm just guessing. But like dad had no emotional attachments to literally anything.
00:18:10
Speaker
Anything. Literally anything. For a certificate. So he would roll his eyes when I'd be like, I want to keep that. Yeah. um i do have his uh whatever it's called i can never remember the name of it the thing that you put on your door mezuzah or something like that mezuzah yeah i have that and it's on it's on my door because why why have it and not use it so well what's funny is we've never we've never
00:18:43
Speaker
had it attached to a door i know did he put one up and now you know i come like did he put one up at moorpark like i don't like growing up we never had one attached to any door no so i don't even know where this one came from like really i think he probably got it when he became a man oh okay for like his bar mitzvah i'm just guessing i have no idea uncle jeff would know probably yeah because mizuzis have the those little scrolls inside of them that were like blessed by a rabbi or whatever and that when it's still in there like i checked i looked inside i don't know if you're supposed to do that but i did it it's placed in a door post yeah do you have it like canted at an angle
00:19:37
Speaker
I do. I looked up how to do it and I made sure I did it right. Okay, good. Yeah. and Did you recite a blessing? No, because I'm not a rabbi. Are you supposed to do that? Before fixing the mezuzah, recite the proper blessing.
00:19:56
Speaker
as i that what it says? Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm not that Jewish. And you're supposed to and you're supposed to touch it when you come in and of the house.
00:20:07
Speaker
I do that. Okay, good. And I do like a whole like chest bump, but but you know, kiss my fingers, point it up upstairs to like the the man upstairs. okay I don't do that. I do touch it when I remember.
00:20:24
Speaker
okay So... Okay. And I have a menorah. so And um Hanukkah's coming up, I think on like the 12th or something. The 14th. The 14th. It was a double digit number. Yeah. You're close. Yeah. Yeah. um And all I remember about Hanukkah growing up is dad doing the candles and that's it. Like we didn't get presents or anything.
00:20:56
Speaker
Isn't like traditionally you get like a present when every day for eight days or something? Yeah. Yeah. We did not participate in that aspect of the holiday. When we were – well, when I was younger, because they only had one kid,
00:21:12
Speaker
the i got some Hanukkah gifts. Well, that's nice. But it was but le was literally – no, but I mean it was literally like – Here's a book. Like, you you know, one of those first readers, you know, here's a book.
00:21:27
Speaker
That's one. Oh, that was one. like Yeah, well, the gift is supposed to be extravagant every time. It's supposed to just be like a little token of whatever every day. he that Tell that to the people who lived south of the boulevard growing up in the valley that I went to school with.
00:21:47
Speaker
Well, I guess to be fair, like, I have no idea what it's supposed to be like because we didn't get them. I didn't get them. No, we did not. I do give the kids guilt, though. like Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:22:02
Speaker
A couple years ago, Uncle Jeff gave us cookbooks that used to be Rhoda's, though, so that's kind of cool.
00:22:10
Speaker
And I use it. now usually I've i've made yeah totally i made recipes from it. And it's really funny because like um the way that the cookbook is written is it's from this Jewish woman and every like the forward of every chapter.
00:22:28
Speaker
is like this funny Jewish thing about whatever the chapter is about. So there's like, ah for like soups, um, there's this forward in the, in that chapter where it's talking about how, like, if, uh, if your friend is sick, it's your responsibility to make them and bring them soup.
00:22:50
Speaker
Because if you don't, then you look like a bad friend. And if like, God forbid they die, you know, at least you did your part. You know? Like, right you did what you could. You brought them this chicken soup or whatever. And it talks about going to, like, the the butcher and asking for a specific thing from the butcher. And I'm just thinking, like, yeah, we don't do that. We don't get, like, whole whole-ass chickens anymore. We're not sitting there plucking feathers, you know?
Humor and Mishaps in Holiday Decor
00:23:21
Speaker
Okay, let's talk about the annual excavation of the Holiday Bins.
00:23:26
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Okay. So you open the first bin and it smells like dust and pine scented candles. Gross. And questionable life choices. i don't know.
00:23:39
Speaker
And immediately you're greeted by stuff you swore you threw out last year. Broken ornaments, crushed bows. That might just be us because we grew up poor and we reused our bows. Who knows? And like random ornament hooks that have now come out of their little container and have somehow like multiplied over the year.
00:24:02
Speaker
So yeah. Yeah. I don't know. i have a hard time like getting rid of broken ornaments. um there's Well, I guess it's not an ornament, but we have a nativity scene. It's like from Avon, so you know high quality stuff, but it is porcelain and it was our mom's. and so It's literally Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. um but This poor guy Joseph, he was beheaded somehow. Oh, I think it was
00:24:34
Speaker
Emma knocked him over when she was, i think, sweeping the floor vacuuming or something. And something happened and he fell and his head flew off.
00:24:46
Speaker
um And his head is kind of situated in such an angle where it can't just easily be glued back on. Like, and he's So we have kept it for several years and I'm like, Eddie, you have to fix this. like It's my only thing of mom's that's been saved.
00:25:07
Speaker
um So yeah. So I don't know. It's just, so yeah, Mary and baby Jesus are out, you know. on display and beheaded Joseph is sitting over by our, our ah coffee mugs.
00:25:22
Speaker
So, yeah. but Wait, so he's just beheaded? Like his, is his head anywhere near him? He's holding his head. ahead So he's like the headless horseman.
00:25:35
Speaker
Yeah, pretty much. Okay. It's like cradling it. Yeah. I mean, it's hashtag the holidays. I'll have to i'll have to post a photo. Yeah. Okay. i i mean
00:25:48
Speaker
That'll be a great one. We could put it on Instagram. Yeah. At Thoughts Interrupted Podcast.
00:25:59
Speaker
Oh, man. i mean, yeah, i don't really like i don't really have a ton of decorations just because it's just me who wants to do it and nobody else cares. And when I say nobody else, it's just Eric, honestly, because it's just me and him here.
00:26:16
Speaker
And then I think, okay, well, if we get a tree, then the animals will ruin it Either the dogs will try to pee on it or like the cats will try to climb it and or drink out of the water, you know, that's in the bottom. um Yeah.
00:26:36
Speaker
And if I get a fake tree, like I have nowhere to store it right now because our garage is half art studio and then a half um workout space. And then the rest of it is clutter. Yeah.
00:26:49
Speaker
so And the rest of it is clutter. I mean, we have one walkway through the garage.
00:27:00
Speaker
i mean we have one walkway through the garage So like the idea of like getting anything new that would have to live there for most of the year, Eric is like a hard no on that.
00:27:13
Speaker
um I think what you guys need – I think what you need is one of those storage rack systems that hangs from the ceiling of your garage and then you can – put your bins up there and have so i would except we have a now screen door that's for the large opening for the garage the large door that's right yeah and it lives it like tucks underneath the garage door when it's open I'm sorry, when it's closed. When the garage door is closed, it lives on the ceiling.
00:27:49
Speaker
you know And then when the garage door opens and we want to use it, we pull it down. So there's not really like a whole lot of space to put an overhead bin system There's not a lot of like um want or need from the other person in my household to put up decorations. And also, i would say just personally, the idea of decorating the inside of my house seems like such a chore.
00:28:18
Speaker
Because I would also be the only one taking it down. And so, like, I don't want to – it just – it sounds so exhausting to do. So I just don't.
00:28:30
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, that's why I had four kids, so they could help. That was the reason. i understand that, though. i mean – but did – My question, I guess, would be, did Eric grow up in a household that decorated a lot indoors and outdoors for Christmas time?
00:28:52
Speaker
You know, I don't know what it was like when he was a kid, but now um I know my mother-in-law will we'll put up a tree. It's usually like a small tree. There would be like little decorations, but not...
00:29:06
Speaker
like not anywhere near what gloria our our
Subtle vs. Extravagant Holiday Styles
00:29:10
Speaker
stepmom i mean would do one end of the spectrum to the other yeah right right i mean it was definitely like you you walk into you walk into michelle's house and um it feels festive it's not in your face it's like um It doesn't punch you in the nose.
00:29:29
Speaker
Right. But there's elements of the holiday season. Yeah. You know, maybe there's like something on the island in her kitchen that's festive or maybe like there's like a small tree in the corner and, you know, um but it's not like there's, you know, she doesn't have stairs because there's it's a one story house. It's not like there's bows on the banister or like, you know, that kind of thing. It's yeah it's very understated and you know It's just something to put out like to feel like festive, but it's not yeah in your face. or like yeah yeah
00:30:03
Speaker
My mother-in-law's house is kind of similar to that. She has her giant... ah or It's an artificial tree, so that gets stowed away in one of the closets every year. but She'll have the tree. She'll have a couple of stockings for decoration. um She does have a nativity set.
00:30:23
Speaker
And baby Jesus only comes on Christmas day. That's their thing. Cause she's like, well, he wasn't there before. And I'm like, makes sense. Never did that growing up, but that makes complete sense.
00:30:37
Speaker
Um, I would forget to put baby Jesus out. So I don't do that in my house. He just goes out when, you know, the rest of the family comes out and,
00:30:48
Speaker
Yeah, I think maybe a couple of things inside, but that is it. And I don't even, i think they have, I think she made my father-in-law, Steve, put up some some lights on the house, I think. I'm trying to remember.
00:31:06
Speaker
um But Eddie said and he did not have those usually growing up. And I think that's why for the first 10 years of our marriage, he was pretty much like, Nah, I'm good.
00:31:20
Speaker
So going from like, that was one thing we always did have. I will say that growing up is we always had, you know, the lights. Now. That's because it stayed up on the house. I was going to say, yeah, they never came down.
00:31:36
Speaker
but you know, gosh. It's like that the redneck woman song. Yes. That was us. Yeah.
00:31:46
Speaker
Gretchen Wilson. Yeah. Um, yeah. So yeah, I finally got him to put lights up. I want to say, yeah, after 10 years, we've been married 18 years. so of the eight years since the first time you put them up, like we haven't done lights here in two years. So just like 18 years, we've got six years of lights, maybe.
00:32:13
Speaker
And that's it's not, a i mean, I like lights, but they have to be a certain kind of lights. Let's talk about ah music, noise, and holiday sound overwhelm.
Soundtrack of the Holidays
00:32:28
Speaker
You know, ah my coworker, Neil, hates Christmas music. Yeah, to be fair, i think that his whole family is weird about Christmas.
00:32:41
Speaker
It feels like an obligation to them. And so like anything related to it, he's just like, oh, you know. um But his whole thing is like having to go into grocery stores and listen to Christmas music. And then you go you know, so to some other store. Maybe you're like going in to pick up something else and up Christmas music and on the radio, Christmas music. And And so um I put Christmas music on at But I did it. Amazon Music has um a playlist that's like lo-fi Christmas music. And so you don't realize it's Christmas music unless you're really listening to it, which is how I got away with it.
00:33:31
Speaker
Um, but yeah, I mean, here's another thing. I don't leave my house very often. And so I don't really hear it all that often. Like if I'm going out to grocery stores, like I'll hear it, whatever, but I'm not like inundated with it. I would say that probably Eric is, he works in and out of grocery stores all day. He's a merchandiser.
00:33:55
Speaker
um, yeah. so It might annoy him more, but he's also so laid back that don't think he – most things don't annoy him.
00:34:07
Speaker
that's nice. What's that like? I know. He's just able to compartmentalize and just like zone –
00:34:17
Speaker
zone things out. Is that the right word? like like ah Tune it out? Tune it out, yeah. He's able to like tune things out really, really easily. um Whereas earlier when we were recording, um there was something happening happening in the neighborhood directly behind my house.
00:34:34
Speaker
And I don't know what they were doing. It sounded maybe like they were removing trees or something. And it was going on for quite a while and you couldn't hear it on the recording, I'm told, but I could hear it and it's just like this sensory thing and I, it was really like I was getting kind of mean.
00:35:00
Speaker
Because it's hard for me to focus on what we're doing if i if there's like loud noises in the background. But yeah, but anyways, Christmas music. I feel like that sums up my parenting as a whole, like especially with like the four kids. Yeah, I'm sure. was very overwhelming and so then I felt like a failure of a parent so often because I'm like – Oh, I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just so overstimulated by everything. It's coming. my My frustration and my annoyance of the thing that I can hear is coming out in my words.
00:35:37
Speaker
Yeah. Not directed at you. It's just directed out of my body so that I don't have to like hold on to it. Yeah. Yeah. yeah How do you feel about Christmas music?
00:35:50
Speaker
I don't mind it, um but I feel like it definitely has an appropriate start time, like in the season. um I went to, which I don't often, i knowt I mean, I shouldn't say often. I don't usually go to any stores because i just, I don't like to have to find parking. I don't wanna like to have to walk behind people who are slow or That's the worst.
00:36:19
Speaker
Or if I'm in a clothing store, if things are all like in a disarray, I spaz out. um I just get totally overwhelmed by everything. It's just like the visual. Like a Ross or like a TJ Maxx. 100%. Yeah. And I think this is why also I have an issue with clutter in the household because like that visual clutter is like – like shouting at me and it, it dry. It's like that noise that you hear in the background, but it's visual noise.
00:36:51
Speaker
And yeah. So sorry, that was a tangent. Um, but I don't, yeah, I don't often go out anymore. I usually, you know, spend more money when I go out someplace and if I just order online. So I tell my husband all the time when he's like, Oh, you ordered this. I'm like, well, I saved you money.
00:37:10
Speaker
You're welcome.
00:37:13
Speaker
So yeah, but um anyways, I was out in this store. It was in October. it was definitely October. It was probably towards the end of October, but they were playing Christmas music in the store. And I said, no, no, no, that's, it's too early. I mean, I love me some Christmas music, but look, can we at least wait till I think the standard you know, what we've agreed upon is being like, okay, we can, we can ease into this now is November 1st.
00:37:46
Speaker
That's for me, at least that's, that's my date. Yeah. I would think maybe December 1st for me. Oh, okay. So it's like straight up December and that's it. i feel like, um, not a lot, not enough attention is given to the spooky season.
00:38:03
Speaker
Oh, I would say maybe no like mid November is acceptable. But the spooky season is done and over with by then. No, because there's still pumpkins out.
00:38:14
Speaker
But that's not spooky. That's just fall. Yeah, but fall does not equate to Christmas music.
00:38:23
Speaker
and December is still fall for the most part, though. I disagree. ah Okay. December 21st is the winter solstice. so Okay. I just mean, emotionally speaking, I disagree.
Minimalism in Holiday Decor
00:38:40
Speaker
We are not basing anything on facts and anymore. We're just purely. I mean, have we ever? I think I like to argue facts.
00:38:51
Speaker
I still have a pumpkin up in my house with decoration. That was like my one Thanksgiving decoration. as There was like a crocheted pumpkin and the little stock is like the little, you know, ah stock. What is that?
00:39:05
Speaker
I have no idea. The thing that sticks out the top of the pumpkin. What is that? Oh, the stalk? The stem. Stem, okay. Okay. It's like, um it's a cinnamon stick.
00:39:18
Speaker
That was my one decoration. A crocheted pumpkin with a cinnamon stick. Yeah, and that's it. All right. um And it'll stay there forever.
00:39:30
Speaker
Speaking of never taking holiday decorations down, like it'll just live there for the rest of its life until I until i go, maybe now, and maybe it's been enough time. Let's talk about our favorite. Do you have a favorite Christmas song?
00:39:47
Speaker
Yes. It's the Christmas song. You know, like chestnut. Yeah. yeah i staying on an open fire I like that one. Yeah. um That's probably my favorite.
00:40:02
Speaker
Do you have any automatic nopes? Nope. Yeah, the all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. Like, that's like a big no for me. I'm not really a fan of the the chipmunk version of the baby baby baby baby.
00:40:18
Speaker
Yeah. Although every time I hear it, reminds me of that movie with Kate Hudson. Yeah.
00:40:29
Speaker
And they're like the guy, the kid is like following a band and she's like a movie. Oh, almost famous? Almost famous. Yeah. Because the opening scene of the movie. Yeah. It's a great movie. But the opening scene is that song and it's like LA, Christmas in LA. And it's like sunny and everybody like Santas and board shorts. I love that.
00:40:53
Speaker
um I have an automatic nope. Yeah, go ahead. It's Little Drummer Boy. And there's really like nothing against Little Drummer Boy, but in fourth grade, we had to sing it. And excuse me, in an assembly at at school.
00:41:11
Speaker
And after singing, well, I'm sorry, after being told to enunciate parumpa-pumpa, Like 80,000 times, I got really tired of the pa-rum-pa-pum-pums, and I am now over it So don't play that song around me. So it's that one. Don't at me. Yeah, please. and the kids the kids laugh because they know I'm not a fan, and so anytime it plays, they're like, oh, mom, it's your favorite. So yeah.
00:41:44
Speaker
Not to like keep bringing this back to Halloween. Oh, my gosh. What?
00:41:50
Speaker
um I hate the monster mash. That's like if that comes on. The monster mash. It so was a graveyard smash. i hate it. Yeah. But um yeah, Christmas.
00:42:07
Speaker
Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? A favorite movie? Ooh. I, okay This might be also the Neurodivergence. I like to watch the same movies all the time.
00:42:19
Speaker
Yeah. So, A Christmas Story I mean, back in the day, they would play it literally for 24 hours, I think on like TBS. I don't know if they still do that, but I would watch that every single year. And so we do that one.
00:42:36
Speaker
ah The kids, when they were younger, loved Home Alone. they i mean, we still love Home Alone. It still has, you know, a tender spot in my heart. um I do like...
00:42:52
Speaker
What is it? I'm trying to think of all the names. Sorry. um It's a Wonderful Life. Yeah. And then Elf sometimes. The kids are kind of like, eh, with Elf. So we haven't watched that one.
00:43:03
Speaker
But then my all-time favorite, like we have to watch it, is Dr. Seuss's A Grinch Stole Christmas. But it needs to be like the 1965 cartoon one.
00:43:16
Speaker
That's a pretty good one. yeah ah My favorite is White Christmas.
Holiday Films: Classics and Critiques
00:43:23
Speaker
Oh. Because I, with Rosemary Clooney, you know? sister And what's his Wait.
00:43:29
Speaker
that the right one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, okay. Sisters, sisters. I love that movie. I love all the dancing in the movie. it's But I love watching a musical.
00:43:43
Speaker
I love a musical too. ah Especially those like old-fashioned ones, you know, with like the production, and you know. Literally, they're on stages. like Yeah.
00:43:55
Speaker
They made a movie where they were able to have stages that they could dance on and it made sense for the movie. I love that.
00:44:07
Speaker
I just love how, you know, the actors were just multidimensional. It's like they could sing, they could dance, they could, you know, act. And what's she three what's her name? um The co-star. The blonde one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I forget. Her waist was so small. 12 inches. What?
00:44:26
Speaker
Christmas. 1954. older than our parents. Yeah.
00:44:31
Speaker
older than our parents Okay, let's see. um Vera Ellen. Did she die like pretty young? Because I'm looking at a picture right next her of Rosemary Clooney.
00:44:44
Speaker
Definitely older. She almost looks like our grandma. yeah Grandma Dorsey.
00:44:50
Speaker
Anyways, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera Ellen. She died 1981. yeah she died in nineteen eighty one She was years old. oh yeah um But yeah, love that movie.
00:45:06
Speaker
Oh, she was 5'4 and weighed 96 pounds. Oh. She was Aunt Barb. Yeah.
00:45:17
Speaker
That tracks. She was tiny, man. Yeah. But yeah. people There was a whole big like controversy with Vera Ellen because her like throat is always covered. She always has like a high neck shirt. Oh.
00:45:33
Speaker
And people are saying that, um I mean, people would argue that it was her design or her costumes were designed to cover her neck, which was aged beyond her years due to her eating disorder, anorexia.
00:45:50
Speaker
Oh. But I don't know. That's just what someone wrote. So I don't know if she actually was anorexic. Don't come at me. I'm just reading this. okay She was pretty tiny. It almost looked like she had a rib taken out.
00:46:05
Speaker
Oh, I know. I can't believe the people who have actually had ribs taken out. I mean, I get it I have a very wide rib cage, but like to go through a surgery for that, I'm like, I'm okay. Yeah. and Fine. Fine.
00:46:19
Speaker
I'll just breathe better. But but yeah, that's my favorite Christmas movie. I think.
00:46:32
Speaker
Did we ever, was gonna say, did we have one that we watched like as a family? i remember we recorded Home Alone on VHS with like all the original commercials. We didn't buy movies. We just like stole them.
00:46:47
Speaker
Well, I mean, everyone recorded stuff. I wouldn't say we stole them. We had that little black box for
00:46:59
Speaker
You know, looking back on all like, our childhood stuff, like i didn't realize how trashy we were. I think a lot of people had black boxes, though. It's like a thing.
00:47:13
Speaker
Like, I don't know. oh Oh my gosh. um ah The Holiday. That's a good one. yeah National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
00:47:26
Speaker
Uncle Eddie. Never seen it. Shitter's Full. You've never seen it? Nope. oh We're going to have to watch that together. Okay. The next time we're together? cool like Remember how we watched...
00:47:45
Speaker
We watched Gone with the Wind together over the phone.
00:47:52
Speaker
Okay, whatever. have no memory of that, but let's do it. Let's do it. Okay. And then Little Women, I always like to watch that. I feel like if we watch it together, it's going to be like another um you thinking it's really funny and me like thinking it's like a like a Napoleon Dynamite thing where I don't think it's funny. Okay. Why do you have to ruin things? I'm sorry. I'll watch it. Rampus.
00:48:21
Speaker
I might think it's great. ah Well, um and whatchamacallit, was going to say. Little Women, but the Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon.
00:48:39
Speaker
I mean, everyone. Everyone was in that one. What's his name? Who played Laurie? um Christian Bales. was say Batman. What about Love Actually? I'm not a huge fan of Love Actually.
00:48:53
Speaker
I'm not. Because it's like sad. Mm-hmm. You know, like watching Emma Thompson like hold it together for her kids. Oh my God, that one part.
00:49:05
Speaker
Yeah, when she's like, oh, my husband's a cheating bastard. Like, but I'm not going to say anything because kids. got a are you Are you kidding me? Like, I'd be like, I'm sorry, kids. You can talk to your therapist about this. But in the meanwhile, yeah let me go shikaka. Yeah. Yeah.
00:49:27
Speaker
No, and then I feel like, you know, she like channeled, because this is what I think about, you know, how she channeled all of her emotions about like Kenneth Branagh cheating on her, like, and put that into scene. in real Yes. Is that what she did?
00:49:45
Speaker
I'm assuming so, because they were married and he cheated on her, so. Why wouldn't you use, you know, your life to...
00:49:57
Speaker
i have Every time I think of that scene, I just think of that Joni Mitchell song that was playing Both Sides know i don't that one. looked at life from both sides now, from up and down. and ba ba but You've never heard that song? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe it's just what you're singing it. yeah um So it's Joni Mitchell singing it and during that scene.
00:50:24
Speaker
okay Okay. Remember, I don't like the movie, so there's that Okay, listen, shut up. Jesus. Okay, so it's Joni Mitchell singing it, and I didn't realize because she re-recorded the song after, like, when she was older. So she's not – doesn't have as much of a high-pitched voice. So it sounds way sadder. It's, like, happening – so that's playing over the scene of her, like, in the bedroom crying, like, keeping it together for the kids. Okay.
00:50:54
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Okay. That's what think of. Well, all right. Also, honorable mention, The Muppet Christmas Carol.
00:51:07
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Anyone? I've heard, or people argue, i should say, that that is the most, like, or the closest to, like, the Dickens classic as any of them have been.
00:51:22
Speaker
I don't know. Uncle Matt, actually, i remember he gave me that as a gift. I think I was like 18 he was like, here you go. That was that was my Christmas gift one year. and i'm like And I'm like, cool, thanks.
00:51:36
Speaker
And then I got rid of it because I was like, I'm not watching this. And now I kind of – wished I kept it. um Although I will say the Gonzo Muppet is still a little phallic for me in my taste.
00:51:54
Speaker
I mean, I'm looking at it now and... it's I mean, have you ever seen the, like, outtakes for the Muppets and for Sesame Street and stuff? The actors who play those characters and they're just, like, cussing and saying really horrible things as as the Muppets?
00:52:17
Speaker
As the Muppets. um No, I don't think I have seen that.
00:52:22
Speaker
They probably had a really great sense of humor when they were making Gonzo. That's all I'm saying. Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, that was, like, the era of psychedelics, right? When they kind of created all that stuff, Jim Henson and all of his puppets. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, we also didn't talk about A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love A Charlie Brown Christmas.
00:52:44
Speaker
It's because I completely forgot about that. To be honest, so did I until I saw it. And I was like, oh, now I remember A Charlie Brown Christmas. But I always forget everything, so. There you go.
00:52:55
Speaker
Also, I feel like the Harry Potters are like kind of like Only the first one. Only the first one. Oh, is it just that Well, that's true. Yeah. Yeah.
00:53:07
Speaker
I like it. that's all That's the only one I like watching over and over again is the very first one. It's because it's the most magical. It's like the same as like Titanic.
00:53:18
Speaker
It's only the first half that I like. Once everyone starts to die, It's like, okay. Okay.
00:53:28
Speaker
Also, okay, let's go back to Love Actually where there are some parts of it that I really like. But yeah, and then the other parts that are I don't really enjoy like the part where the guy's best friend is declaring his love for like the guy's girlfriend, Keira Knightley, who's like 17 or something stupid in this movie.
00:53:48
Speaker
um Was she really? She was very young. Hold on. Let me let me be accurate. How old was Keira Knightley? not in pirates slightly in love actually there we go 17 years old yep she was portraying a 22 to 25 year old but she was 17 um fun fact that guy who was who was uh confessing his love for her same guy from walking dead
00:54:22
Speaker
Well, what was – okay, her on-screen husband. Oh, yeah. Okay. So she was married. I forgot. Not boyfriend. Andrew Lincoln is that guy. Andrew Lincoln.
00:54:35
Speaker
Age in love, actually. How old was he? He was 29. twenty nine Nearly 30, it says. So, ew. Gross. Hollywood.
00:54:47
Speaker
Ugh. So gross. Gross.
Real vs. Artificial Trees: A Debate
00:54:50
Speaker
Okay, so let's go through some rapid fire holiday decor debates. Number one.
00:54:59
Speaker
Real tree or artificial tree? We've already gone over this um a little bit, but go ahead. I say both because um for different reasons.
00:55:10
Speaker
ah Real trees are nice because they smell good. um They feel really festive like immediately. um You don't have to put them together.
00:55:21
Speaker
They just they come pre pre-tree. um Do you wash your tree though? what yes apparently you're supposed to wash your tree no i do not do that bugs that live in the tree that then crawl out of the tree no i have animals that get those so my cats will get them are you talking about like spiders and stuff i'm talking about like i don't know bugs i don't know i will just say this we never when we were growing up washed our tree yeah
00:55:54
Speaker
We did not. You're right. bro We never washed a lot of things growing up, though, being fair. Anyways, we lived. um And then pros and cons for the artificial tree for me is you don't have to buy and a ah new one every year, um if especially if it's pre-lit. That's nice.
00:56:14
Speaker
And i would say the cons are you have to assemble it and then you have to store it. Yeah. Um, inflatable yard decor go.
00:56:25
Speaker
no
00:56:30
Speaker
What, what is your take?
00:56:36
Speaker
my gosh. Um, Some of them are really cheesy, but like i kind of dig, like, especially since like we're not putting, i like I can already call it. We're not going to put any house lights up. um So the more I can decorate my yard, the more festive i will be and the fewer nasty looks I'll get from the neighbors. So you can get like a you know a big thing for like $35 I'm like yeah do it it's festive it's fun it's whimsical okay
00:57:14
Speaker
I don't like them. I think I don't like the hum sound that they make. I think they are lazy. i think that
00:57:28
Speaker
I think not that you would be lazy if you did it, but just in general, I think the idea of And then like during the day, they're just like i'm not saying plastic on your lawn. Oh, also, um they just feel obnoxious.
00:57:45
Speaker
the i
00:57:51
Speaker
I think as far as yard decor goes, I really love the vintage, like creepy. oh my gosh. Like the face is melting off kind of um looking, you know, because it's so old. Because it's old. Because the face is probably actually melting off from the incandescent light bulbs. Exactly. Exactly.
00:58:20
Speaker
um I prefer that. so
00:58:36
Speaker
um Yeah, I prefer that. yeah my gosh. Let's see here. Okay, so like are we talking old – old don't know, like reindeer or snowmen, anything that's like puffy plastic. So puffy plastic is okay.
00:59:00
Speaker
What? Like, are you talking about like the stuff that is like puffy that lights up? Like puffy as in like puffed plastic. Like blown up with air?
00:59:10
Speaker
No, like like hard plastic. Oh, like hard plastic that's been blown up. Okay. um I would say the ceramic ones, like the ones that are actually like can break.
00:59:25
Speaker
I don't think I know what you're talking about then. and what are you talking about? like It might be hard plastic. I think it's like a blow mold. Is that is that ceramic? I'm looking at Jemmy lighted vintage snowman ah that loud and blow mold. Maybe not ceramic. Maybe blow mold. Well, it's so like, yeah, they're melty, right? like Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:59:47
Speaker
So this one says... The classic snowman blow mold makes a delightful addition to your Christmas decorations. It features a vintage design for a nostalgic look. Oh, weather resistant for both indoor and outdoor use.
01:00:02
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like the reindeer. Oh my God. Like this one, it looks like it.
01:00:11
Speaker
Yes. yes I was going to say something really um not PC. Oh boy. Okay.
01:00:21
Speaker
I can't say it. Okay.
01:00:25
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Well, I don't know how we move on from that.
01:00:36
Speaker
Finally, let's discuss.
01:00:42
Speaker
mean, you already talked about the blobs being like the cheating yard decor. Yeah. But when I think of the cheating yard decor, I think about those light projectors that just like project all the lights on the house. Yeah. Those are cheating. my My in-laws have that. But I think that – I think for them it works because they live in wine country and it's like up on a hill.
01:01:08
Speaker
And it's, you can't even really see their house um clearly really from the street. and It's kind of like tucked away in a neighborhood. Nobody's like going house to house to look at lights. So for them, it makes a lot of sense. um It doesn't, yeah, I wouldn't begrudge them, not you know, putting up lights on their house.
Embracing Holiday Chaos
01:01:27
Speaker
So yeah, I think, I think there's a time and a place.
01:01:32
Speaker
Got it. All right. Anyways, enjoy the season. Chaos and all.
01:01:41
Speaker
And also, also, if you have any, um for anyone who's listening, if you have any worst decor disaster stories or anything funny to contribute.
01:01:54
Speaker
yes I feel like this episode was very like National Lampoon's Christmas, you know, which you don't understand the reference because you haven't seen it.
01:02:05
Speaker
I mean, I get the reference. I just have never seen it. Oh, it's it's it's Uncle Eddie right now. It's the shitter's full. Like, it's that's what this episode has been. All right. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.
01:02:21
Speaker
um I love you.
01:02:26
Speaker
Say you love me back. I love you, too. I had to catch my breath. I was laughing. oh my gosh. Okay. That's it.
01:02:44
Speaker
Bye.
01:02:48
Speaker
Stories we grew up with.
01:03:10
Speaker
But...