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EP 128: January Catch Up - Pedal to the Metal
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We’re officially back and jumping straight into the new year with all the energy.
In this episode, we’re catching up on everything from the past few weeks and easing our way back into real life… while also feeling very ready to go full pedal-to-the-metal in 2026.
We recap:
- New Year’s Eve and how we rang in the new year
- Candace’s birthday and all the feelings that come with another lap around the sun
- The general excitement, motivation, and “okay let’s do this” energy that January brings
We also take a minute to reflect on last January vs. now — how different things feel, what’s shifted, and how intentionally putting ourselves first over the last year genuinely changed our lives. More clarity, more confidence, and a lot less tolerating what doesn’t serve us anymore.
If you’re feeling motivated, hopeful, reflective, or somewhere in between as the year kicks off, this one will feel like a cozy but energizing chat with friends who get it.
Keep up with the Moms and join the conversation on our socials:
📸 Instagram: @momgroupchat
🎵 TikTok: @momgroupchat
Questions/comments/need to vent? Email us at momgroupchat@gmail.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Premise
00:00:07
Speaker
There's no right way to do it.
00:00:12
Speaker
Oh, we're going to get into it. What up, moms? My name's Whitney Williams, and I'm here with my best friend, Candice, and we're the Mom Group Chat Podcast. Happy New Year. Yay, we're here. We're here. new year.
Episode Release Plans
00:00:24
Speaker
We're calling this episode Pedal to the Metal. I mean, I just decided that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, we it's the Monday back from... you know, holiday break.
00:00:36
Speaker
We are releasing two episodes this week because we had a rogue episode that never got released, which is totally on me. It just, the holidays got away from me. Okay. As they should. No one, guess what? We run our own podcast. Yeah. And no one's holding this over our head. This is great. No one even, literally not a single person messaged us and was like, there's no episode this week. So like, are y'all listening anymore? Hello? Anyone out there?
00:01:03
Speaker
So we just were like, you know what? We still want that episode to like see the light of day. So we released it this morning on Monday and you'll get another one tomorrow. This one. So pedal to the metal, baby.
00:01:16
Speaker
We're back with the bang.
New Year Optimism and Health Goals
00:01:18
Speaker
New year to eps out. What? I feel so good about this year. i feel like a lot of people do. There's just a collective good feeling about 2026. Well, it's our year, and we've talked about that. that The year of the horse is 1990s baby's dream year. Like, we're in it.
00:01:41
Speaker
This year. I'm a fire horse. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. That's what I am. Yeah. Yeah, i'm I'm just excited to see what the new year has to bring and also excited to put the pedal to the metal. Like, let's fucking go.
00:01:57
Speaker
I agree. I'm ready to, like, get organized and then just, like, jump into the year. There's a lot of stuff changing at my work. I just feel like I'm in this groove with my, like, personal, like, health journey. I'm just, like, I'm ready. I feel like I'm a little ahead.
00:02:13
Speaker
I was going to literally tell you when we got on here a second ago, I'm like, you look skinny. Wow. Thank you. lost three pounds. And Pat, my friend, is how we start a new year.
00:02:25
Speaker
Yeah. I started at 45. I like started in December. and I know I had talked about like that being my thing that I wanted to start this year. But I jumped the gun a little bit. And I'm feeling so good about a new routine.
00:02:39
Speaker
Well, that's pedal to the metal, my friend. That is what the definition of Pedal to the metal. feels so good. That first week I started, I was a wobbly deer. It was like like, oh my God. So I also, although mine really started in the new year, but on Friday, on the second, I did my first burn bootcamp class with a friend and Whitney, I still cannot walk and it's Monday. It's, I, it was all lower body. It was, ah it was a lower body strength with a glute finisher. That's like literally the thing it said.
00:03:13
Speaker
y'all my I can't walk like it's it hurts so bad I've tried so hard to stretch and I'm like oh the best thing you can do is go back and I know what like back tomorrow yeah I'm just like wow that first week I was shuffling around i just like anytime I like sat down and like was stagnant for a second it was a mistake because Oh, yeah, yeah. Then i stiffed right back up. Oh, my God. i texted my friend Hannah, who I went with, and I was like, if my knees aren't locked straight, like I'm going down.
00:03:47
Speaker
i Cannot. i Yeah. You can't even sit on the toilet. Like it was so horrible. And now it's
Balancing Life and Wellness
00:03:56
Speaker
really like with kids and ah like constantly having to like lift and bend and like getting up and off. Like, I don't know about you, but when we get the kids out of the bath, like we go straight, like straight to Evie's floor. That's like our routine. We go from the bath to the floor in Evie's room. And that's where we do like jammies and like, you know, and getting up and down off the floor.
00:04:19
Speaker
was a yeah difficult experience to say the least. This F45 is like very concentrated on squats. I'm like, okay, can we not for a second?
00:04:33
Speaker
Like, wow. Can I take one day where I'm not squatting but it's been great it's something new like I'm I'm such like a endurance person that it's like a nice change of pace for me like I'm focusing on something that I'm not necessarily good at so it's been good I'm enjoying and I'm like okay I'll give this a few months I think and run with it and I'm gonna try and get a little toned Well, you're looking great already. Like, you're killing it.
00:05:04
Speaker
It is such a far, I feel like we're both such a far cry from our new year, like our first year, oh or our first episode back last year was, first of all, the origination of the Groundhog. So...
00:05:18
Speaker
Honestly, this is the Groundhog birthday episode. That's what we should call this. saw a TikTok where it was like that that one that we posted was like these motherfuckers, these motherfuckers, you know, that one TikTok.
00:05:31
Speaker
It came up and it said like 32 days till Groundhog's Day. And I was like, hell yeah, we're back. so We're groundhogging, everyone. Welcome. And it is one year since... Since I cried my eyes out on New Year's and then opened up to Candice that I was really sad about where I was. So if you're where I was a year ago, listen to that episode because that is what inspired me and Candice to get our shit together. And if you're not there yet...
00:06:04
Speaker
perfect. Fine. I was just, I was there. I had hit my breaking point. So yeah. Yeah. Um, so it's just so wild to see where we are now. Like we're both feel, it even though like I literally went balls to wall all holiday. Like I literally, I i still, i have to get myself back in line, but even that, even with like eating to my heart's content and barely moving over the holidays.
00:06:31
Speaker
I feel so much better now than I did last January. And that is just, and it like, it does, I don't know for anyone listening who like is feeling shitty about themselves or their body. Like, no, it took me a whole entire year to like get there. But even when we started last January, like by July, i was like six months in, and I was feeling so much
Reflections on Personal and Family Growth
00:06:55
Speaker
better. So don't,
00:06:57
Speaker
Like, just know that you can make a change and, like, you can feel so much better if you just, like, commit and start to put your needs and, like, your, I don't know, health first. I feel like that's so cheesy to say. it's not. But that is – as a mom, like – what we want to do or what we need to do always comes last. And the only, like when people ask me what I did, i swear to God, the first thing I say is I started to put myself first. but i really yeah and as that
00:07:31
Speaker
I'm like, I just not. Cause quit orange theory literally like last October. So it's been over a year since I've like gone to workout classes and I'm just like, wow, it took me Margo's almost two. She's two years and four months. And I'm like, wow, it took me this long to like prioritize myself seriously.
00:07:50
Speaker
Like it just I don't know why i just couldn't get there, but I'm finally there. And I just feel like our routines are so good. The kids are a little older. just feels good.
00:08:03
Speaker
Yeah. Well, we're just going to keep glowing up, keep becoming MILFs in 2026. I've seen a lot of stuff online that says like 2026 has the same energy as 2016. Oh, that was a good year for me.
00:08:21
Speaker
Right. That's what I'm saying. Everyone, I literally haven't met anyone who had a bad 2016. Like it was like, like When I think 2016, I think, I just close my eyes, take myself there, and I'm listening to Roses by the Chainsmokers on a rooftop, and life is good. feel like that's where we're going to be. I was in Chattanooga at that point with Chris, and he was in school. So I was like, it was still good because, you know, 25, 26, you're living. Yeah, we were living.
00:08:56
Speaker
yeah we were living yeah we were living we were just saying our frontal lobes were swimming in beer at that point yeah yeah literally um like i think 20 i think we've talked about this too 2018 was like our my year year like that was my best year of my life but i don't know i think 2016 is up there for me i was 26 year Well, 2016 was the year I moved home from New York. Like I moved home that August or yeah. So that whole first of the year i was already dating Vinny. We started dating in September of 2015. So that was a good So I was, I was locked down already. i wasn't living my,
00:09:44
Speaker
you know, my heyday. yeah It was not my heyday. Yeah. Um, but yeah, no, 2016 was just such a fun year. And I feel like I was really trying, I knew I was moving home from, ah New York city. So I was like really trying to squeeze every ounce of time and like experience out of New York city. yeah.
00:10:06
Speaker
I love that. Yeah, think that might have been the year you surprised me on in Chattanooga for my birthday. was going to say, I think it is. How cutie. That was so fun. I think about doing that again all the
Social Media Trends and AI Insights
00:10:18
Speaker
time. Like every year I have the thought. and like But now that the kids trick or treat, it's like not as achievable. I know. It's like...
00:10:27
Speaker
You can't do it. That's fine. Like i'm not going to go and bombard. Yeah. And i then i then I miss my kids. Yeah. i can't do it. We have to have a planned trip. It just is what it is. Can't do it anymore, but it's fine. yeah Good times. And okay. So I will say. I made Candice do this because I saw it online where you asked, which i didn't even tell you i was gonna bring this up, but I was like, where you asked chat GBT, like based on all the questions you asked it in 2025, like what would they say is your mental state of mind? And so it was like crazy. So it said it like, um, you ask it to like paint a portrait hanging in a museum and then you can ask it to like
00:11:10
Speaker
tell you about the portrait yeah based off all the questions yeah interpret it and ours were so similar because it was all except candace had fucking flowers in hers mine was all nice my Mine had some like happiness and hope and Winnies was a little sad.
00:11:30
Speaker
I mean, mine was sad too. It's just really indicative of how I like really don't open up about that kind of stuff unless you make me do it where it's just I'm very i'm very much an internalizer and – every And all of it has to do with the mental load of being a mother, pretty much, like to sum it up. yeah And if you guys ever like get to the chance to do it, like ask it to do that because it was so interesting. Just how we keep like ah a steady face in the front, like we've got this together, but on the inside it's like... what like So much is happening, so much on our plate, kids asking for this and that, and you're still trying to be a working mom, and it's just...
00:12:10
Speaker
all about the mental load it was so interesting for that it was yeah it was so we both had like open heads like our brains were yeah um I mean not in a well kind of in a scary way but like it was just it really talked about how like much mental load we have going on Mine had a lot of like emotional stuff and how like I had a hard year a lot of yeah, like I carry a lot of emotion around things and
00:12:45
Speaker
Yeah, but it's funny. I don't – I really don't see 2025 as a hard year for me. I mean, I know I feel like I've already mentioned this, but, like, 2025 was a good year. It was the year of stability. Like, I feel like we got more stable than we had been – I mean, literally going into last year, I didn't even – we didn't even have a place to live, okay? So – I, 2025 was a good year. i agree. i i loved it. Mine, the image looks scary, but then when it interpreted it, I literally just looked it up and said, um, that it, it was saying that a I, I'm holding things together and just trying to quiet my thoughts. Like my mind is always racing. Like that was what it was insinuating. um and I'm always functioning, performing, but on the inside, I'm feeling very chaotic. Uh, so it was just like, okay, yeah, that image was scary, but.
00:13:34
Speaker
that just is like the life of a mom. Yeah. And I ask it a lot of work stuff too. So I was just like, this is all very interesting. Yeah.
00:13:46
Speaker
and But Candace's had like um whimsical moments in hers, like beauty and blah, blah, blah. And um mine was just like, there's smoke and lightning and fragments. Yeah. Yeah. Like mine. So like basically my head is exploded and on fire in mine. can, we can post them if you want, but the, ah but then all around me and inside, like around the explosion in my head, there are flowers growing and there's also butterflies like,
00:14:16
Speaker
flying out of my head. And, um, it says the flowers growing upward imply resilience that wasn't planned or polished. This wasn't a curated healing year. It was survival turned slowly into strength. The butterflies feel like fleeting moments of hope, brief, easy to miss, but real. They suggest that even when your mind felt heavy, something in you was still transforming.
00:14:41
Speaker
yeah, Yeah. So good. I don't know. It was good. It was really good. And... it was an interesting exercise that I was like, Candice, I want you to do that. It was kind of just like a... It was honestly like an invitation for like to reflect on some things and to like...
00:15:00
Speaker
you know, it is like we talk to chat GBT all the time. i know. I don't know. i I mean, I assume you do. I do. I'm constantly asking it questions. I'm constantly talking to it. And it was just kind of like, it's, that's not some random thing they gave me. That's like, it literally took the questions that I had asked it and like regurgitated what they felt I was going through. So to see that in like a visual form and to have it interpreted, I was like, Oh damn. Yeah. Like that's crazy. Interesting. And did you do the um the wrapped for ChatGBT too?
00:15:34
Speaker
I did. Yeah. Mine wasn't wildly interesting, I think, because I use it so much for clients and work. Yeah, that's true. I feel like some of my stuff was like mixed, you know?
00:15:46
Speaker
It's just funny how it kind of captures you in a way, like an unbiased opinion almost. And it was... yeah Mine was always like, you're so playful.
00:15:57
Speaker
You always try and find the funny. And and I'm like, well, yeah, it always brings that Mine was definitely like, you're always trying to look for a strategy and a plan. but that's like, again, what I do for a clients. So it's like, yeah, yeah I don't know. it didn't it It didn't hit like I thought it would.
00:16:16
Speaker
Damn. Well, maybe that's why the mental load was like, But yeah, if y'all ever get a chance to like ask it that, it was very interesting. And even if your image is scary, just be like, interpret this, please, before I spiral. And then it'll tell you all the things. And if you're mom, it'll probably be similar to what ours are. so yeah, very interesting.
00:16:39
Speaker
Yeah.
Casual Birthday Celebrations
00:16:40
Speaker
but this is our catch up episode. Like, i know we have a lot to recap. I want to hear about new year's. We could talk about my birthday. um it was funny. I was editing the episode that went out today, you know, and we were leading up to my birthday and the plans I said I had for my birthday was like, not at all. I ended up doing.
00:17:01
Speaker
So I was like, Oh, uh, this was in ah an inaccurate description of what I thought I was going to do on my birthday. but, We ended up, I mean, should I just, shall I get into it? Get into it.
00:17:14
Speaker
So my birthday was last Monday on the 29th. And in the last episode, I was like, oh we're going to go to Roe. It's like a fancy sushi restaurant. And I was like, I'm not really sure what we're doing during the day, buth blah, blah, blah.
00:17:27
Speaker
It ended up, I just did not feel like being fancy. I don't know how else to say it. I just wasn't in the mood. I wasn't in the mood to like really get dressed up. I also knew we were going, we ended up getting like last minute invited to like a fancy New Year's party. So like I knew I was dressing up and getting fancy in a couple days. And also there's been so many times recently where Vinny and I have talked about hibachi. Yeah.
00:17:53
Speaker
I don't know. We just were like craving it and we don't eat that very often. It's not really close to us. So we just don't have like i probably have that like once a year maybe. And I was like, you know what? I really just want to go to hibachi. Like I that's all I really want. So we ended up canceling our row reservation and going to Hibachi, which was so fucking delicious. Let me tell you, it was so good. And we just had the most chill day, which is all I ever want. Like, I just want to chill. My mom did take the girls in the evening. So we got to like have a child free night alone. um
00:18:31
Speaker
And yeah, it was so nice. chill. Well, and you said the weather was like so perfect. Oh, that's right. Sorry. In the morning, we went, I forgot, completely forgot that we did that. Forgot you spent time with your family.
00:18:43
Speaker
Forgot. We woke up and we got Cuban toast and coffee, which if you're from Tampa and are Cuban, you know, I got a cafe con leche and Cuban toast, which is like just so comforting and amazing. Let me tell you, freaking love Cuban toast and coffee. um So we got that and then we went on a long walk on Bayshore and the weather was supreme. You guys, it was like,
00:19:08
Speaker
65, not a cloud in the sky, like just stunning. The weather on my birthday is always like phenomenal. Oh, it's so good. Um, and we just had a beautiful walk. We went to Hyde park. I shopped a little bit. Um, and then we got rights gourmet for lunch, which is like one of my favorite places here in Tampa. It's like sandwiches and deli. so good. and So, yeah, we just had a lovely day and then we had a very chill hibachi night. Like we were home and in bed by like nine. Perfect. ah it was so nice. You know what? I love hibachi and I love, I really love a sandwich from a deli. Like I'm a big sandwich person.
00:19:48
Speaker
Okay. Next time you come here, I don't think I've ever taken you to Wright's Gourmet, which is like, again, Tampa staple, Tampa staple. So next time you come, we have to go to Wright's Gourmet. I've never had a bad meal in Tampa. Like I'm going to be dreaming of all the food I had there when I last came. um but a toasted Sammy does it for me. Like I will choose a sandwich even for dinner. Like I love a club.
00:20:14
Speaker
yeah love anything. we had um We've been eating this place called Pitaway like crazy. oh my God. is so good. love a pita. It is so good. you remember a pita pit?
00:20:27
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Little pocket you could stuff some shit in. Yeah. yeah Oh yeah. Wow. That was a throwback. That used to be like a late night. We used to go to Pita Pit.
00:20:38
Speaker
We had one. So when we lived downtown Nashville on second Avenue, they had one across from us. And let me tell you, i ate there. I ate at Hooters on the corner. I ate at this place called it ah some taco place that had the best um like ranchy queso. I don't know. It was some crazy sauce. And they had this like messy quesadilla. It was so good. It was nasty with the poochie. What?
00:21:07
Speaker
I'm sorry You haven't heard that? You got to get back on TikTok, Candice. I am on TikTok. I've actually been scrolling on TikTok more, but I've never heard that term. Okay. It's from Alabama Barker's Christmas Hall.
00:21:21
Speaker
Oh. and she Well, it's like a vocal stem now for everybody. like you'll get it You'll see it now. But she like gets these shoes for Christmas and she opens it and she's like, these shoes? Nasty. Nasty with a poochie?
00:21:34
Speaker
Nasty. What is that? Poochies look like clothing brand. Yeah, like looks good. That with like poochie dress.
00:21:46
Speaker
So now everyone's saying it. Oh, poochie like the brand. Wow, okay. I get it, I get it, I get it. Nasty, nasty with the poochie. Okay, that's so funny. You're probably gonna be like saying it in two weeks.
00:21:59
Speaker
Alabama Barker, I feel like I could, I really would like need to do, i could do a whole pop, like pop culture episode on her. Every time I come across her videos, I can't help but click her her profile and just like binge. She seems like a weird AI social experiment to me. Like i just.
00:22:20
Speaker
she Everyone always writes like she's getting ready with nowhere to go. Like where she always getting ready? Where she always going? Yeah. Well, her style and the way she talks is just so like an alien to me. i don't know Well, that everyone's saying like if you're wanting to gain followers is to do live TikToks.
New Year Festivities
00:22:41
Speaker
Like that is the number one way to gain a following. And people who have like the biggest following will do live TikToks for like three to five hours a day. Isn't that crazy? who the fuck has the time?
00:22:54
Speaker
know. I watched it on some marketing update or something recently where like that's where you're gaining a lot. So if we want gain followers, Candice, we're going to go live. I guess we just go live on TikTok for three to five hours a day. And we just talk and talk and talk. Yeah. No, it is one of my goals for mom group chat this year to start posting more on like posting more clips on TikTok and just be more active on TikTok. So catch us going live here soon.
00:23:23
Speaker
Honestly, I feel like that'd be so fun if we were just talking and everyone's like just watching us talk. Honestly, like a live episode. That's not a bad idea. Wait, that really sounds fun.
00:23:36
Speaker
We should do that. Okay. Okay. That sounds great. Coming soon. We just start livening it up. That'd be great. We could do it on Sundays or something like Sunday service.
00:23:49
Speaker
Oh my gosh. That's just funny. Just like Kanye who's canceled. We can't talk about him. No. I'm sorry. R.I.P.
00:23:59
Speaker
well connection there though but uh yeah anyway she's the big vocal nasty with a poochie nasty with a poochie and then like all the um rich people christmas halls like getting gucci slides getting ugg boots getting david uerman bracelets i'm like this is fun to watch i can't help it Really? Those have come across my feed, but I get bored easily what got from Christmas Well, yeah, they're like teenagers, but it's interesting to see the rich teenagers, what they're into, I guess. I don't I guess, yeah, yeah. I could see that.
00:24:34
Speaker
i don't know. It's just like, oh, yeah so fun y'all are so fun. Sorry, we went off on a tangent on your birthday. Happy birthday.
00:24:45
Speaker
yeah. That's okay. i I mean, that was done. that There was nothing to report, honestly. You were just like me. I'm like, I just wanted to chill on my birthday at that point. I'm like, oh my God, I just need to not do anything.
00:25:02
Speaker
Tell me about your New Year's Eve. Oh, we um ended up having people over at my house, which I was like, i don't know, you know, when you're like, oh, so everyone just come here. And then the day comes and I was like, why did I do that? Because literally had just a revolving door around the holidays. Like y'all know, I hosted Christmas Eve, which was so lovely and nice like I said um but then like Chris's family came for four nights so they were there for a while and they literally left the day of New Year's Eve and I just was like I sat down after they left left and like looked around at the mess in my house thinking I have to like wrap this up and get ready for people to come over which is like
00:25:49
Speaker
five couples total with 10 kids a piece plus. And I just thought I'm picking up for my house to get destroyed. I was like, this is like, I wouldn't have, I feel like I would have. And I guarantee all the, all of your friends that came over wouldn't have even noticed. Well, I wrote them and I said, y'all, I got the kids fucking DiGiorno pizza and fries. I said, I have no more enthusiasm to give. Looking forward to seeing you guys. But like, I'm low on the fun meter right now. And everyone's like, oh, we'll bring stuff. And I was like, y'all are so nice. But I was like, dreading. And then it ended up just being so nice because everyone was so casual anyway. Yeah. I mean, we hang out all the time, but I was just like, yo, I said, y'all, going to be rolling up and y'all going to be like, what's up?
00:26:33
Speaker
But that Amy, whatever. Yeah, yeah. Amy Poehler when she's like, i was love that. That's one of my most used gifts. I was like, sup. So it was good. Like the with the kids um had so much fun. they We did that like countdown thing on the TV and they all took their shirts off, which I was like, what is happening?
00:26:54
Speaker
Like, and they're just like whipping around all the glow sticks. I'm like, am I at the club? Like, it was so funny. And they all stayed the night. Okay, wait, hold on. Girls and guys or just the boys took their shirts off? Candace, can I tell you?
00:27:07
Speaker
When we turn on Nueva Yul in our house now, Margo immediately takes her shirt off. Immediately. My girl.
00:27:18
Speaker
She's a girl after my own heart. She's like, let's go and rips her shirt off and dances. I'm like, Chris, is this normal? It's so funny.
00:27:29
Speaker
Anyway, that's so it was nice. And like, I actually wasn't like that hung over. The real catch here was that we made plans both um New Year's Eve night and morning. We did a little breakfast morning at our friend Kathleen's house just to like pass the time we knew like we'd all have the day off. So we were like, we'll just meet at their house at nine and let the kids play. Let us all be hung over and eat breakfast together. And so then we just had mimosas and we were over there till noon and it was just like a nice night.
00:28:00
Speaker
like soaking up the time with the kids. And then i came home and napped. It was so great. That was a like life hack. Serious life hack. i I also was not super hungover after New Year's Eve and I was nervous about it, but I was so intentional about what I drank. I stuck to one type of alcohol and I had a lot of drinks, but I only drank vodka. Like I only had martinis and even for the ball drop, they handed out little mini Moet champagnes and I took one so tiny sip of it at midnight and then I sat that bitch down. I was like, no no, no, no. I think I did the same. I i only had wine. Only had white wine.
00:28:43
Speaker
That was a... If I were to do that, I would be... dead the next day. Wine these days like does not settle with me. know. That's the only thing I feel good on i buy dream hardcore I actually drank champagne. you know i had mimosas the next day and I felt really bad after I woke up from my nap. I was like, whoa, I don't feel good because I'm not used to drinking that.
00:29:07
Speaker
I know. Champagne is one of the worst hangover things, in my opinion. And it's funny. I've seen things online that are like, you know, champagne and tequila the only like upper alcohols. Like it's – everything else is like a downer and champagne and tequila are uppers. And – I don't know.
00:29:27
Speaker
Maybe that's why when I drink margaritas now, I wake up in the night. So maybe that's why it's it's up in me. Probably. Yeah. I just. Yeah. I'm like, I can't in you. You know, it's up in me. Yeah. i can't drink them anymore without waking up at some point in the night and being like, oh, I feel like shit.
00:29:47
Speaker
Yeah. We're the yeah too old now. I know. So we ah got invited by our close friends to one of the like country club New Year's Eve parties here, which like we're not really New Year's Eve people. We haven't gone out in like, I'm not kidding, 10 years. And were like, you know what?
00:30:06
Speaker
Let's do it. We will. And we got can get all dressed up and like go out. It ended up being so fun. I will say the party was very much on the older side. It was like we brought the than average age down by a lot. It was like mostly 60, like 50s and 60-year-olds, it felt to me. bet the music was good then.
00:30:29
Speaker
Okay. So the the music was good. But outside on the deck of the – of the country club, they had a silent disco.
00:30:41
Speaker
Oh, cute. And that ended up being the most fun part of the whole night. It was so fun. Like I can't, and Vinny is like not a dance, dance floor guy.
00:30:54
Speaker
This silent disco was so fucking funny and fun. So, okay, obviously you get out there and there's like a table full of headphones and the headphones like have lights around them. And depending on what color your light is, that's like what channel you're on. So there are three channels, green, red, or blue. And they all play different like styles of music. So you could look around and you can tune into the channel that like you like the most. So everyone gets to like,
00:31:23
Speaker
you know, kind of choose their own adventure type thing. It was so fucking fun. And to watch these 56 year olds, like jam out and dance, like with like, silo yeah, it was so we were, I had tears like coming down my face. It was so funny. And I don't know. It was just so like freeing and fun. We had the best time out there. That's cute. the silent disco. And genuinely made me, I was like, wow, for a future party, like I want a silent disco. It was so funny and fun i'm for your 40th.
00:31:57
Speaker
Maybe, maybe there'll be a silent disco section. my fortieth birthday party. It was so fun. Um, so that was really fun. the drinks were so good. They had like late night snacks. They like passed around like hamburgers and French fries and like, which was so good. its So yeah, it was just a good time. It was nice to get out. It was funny though. Like the ball dropped.
00:32:18
Speaker
it turned midnight and we were like, that's enough. We're going to Like, um, I don't know. I feel like we were the first ones. We were like, all right, the ball is dropped.
00:32:32
Speaker
It's midnight and we're peacing out. I think if the crowd was like a little bit younger, maybe we would have like made friends and stayed, but it was yeah genuinely, it was kind of a older crowd, which like, I'm not mad about it was fun regardless. Um,
00:32:47
Speaker
but yeah we Yeah, we didn't see the ball drop. We only watched it on the TV with the with the kids, which was so litty. We had to watch it twice because the kids loved it so much. I don't even know what the hell Chris put on, but it was a hit. It was funny. Wow. It was hype.
00:33:03
Speaker
I read that. Okay, so you know this 4th of July is America's 100th birthday. Right? 100th? More. Yes. It's like the centennial, right?
00:33:15
Speaker
300 400 like what is it look it hold on wait i'm way off hold on i was like a sorry in july is the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of why did i think that okay hi i went four hundred Clearly, I know nothing about U.S. history. um Me only thinking we've been around for 100 years. Like, what? was like 17-something.
00:33:49
Speaker
Hmm. Okay. Well, anyways, a I had read that they are also doing another ball drop on 4th of July this year, like leading up to 4th of July as like Happy Birthday America.
00:34:03
Speaker
the lake house will be done. Well, also said... Yeah. I also said to Vinny, I was like this year for 4th of July, i want to like, do something really fun, whether we go somewhere and like go to a party or we throw a party at our house, which we don't have a pool. So that kind of sucks. But I'm like, I want do something fun. It's the 250th birthday of America. Okay. Fourth of July is the best. I love that holiday. I love that week. I think Chris took off that week again this year. So I'm like, Ooh, it gives me the chills. I just want to say you got the chilies thinking about it. Love it. I love, love, love. I love red, white, and blue. I love Americano. Hmm.
00:34:39
Speaker
I know. vo thing It makes me think of you every
Fashion and January Reflections
00:34:42
Speaker
time. it Actually, what did I wear? i I think it was on my birthday. What I wore to Hibachi, looked like that I was going to 4th of July party because I got those red Mary Jane Rothy's for Christmas, which, by the way, highly recommend. They are so cute and comfortable. I'm, like, absolutely obsessed. But I was wearing, like, light – it was so warm on my birthday. So I was wearing, like, light-colored jeans, ah my red Rothy's, and –
00:35:12
Speaker
a white like blouse hot and I look Vinny was like you look like you're going to a 4th of July party I would be so turned on by you in that moment you would have like honestly it was a free people like white blouse and I actually thought to myself like this is an outfit yeah Yeah, I'm into it. i love When you posted those shoes, I was like, I must have those because I don't have any like, I just got some Chelsea boots to wear to the office because I was like, I don't have shoes to wear now that it's not like warm. But I need to get on the like flats.
00:35:47
Speaker
Those are like perfect work shoes. They're so comfortable. You kind of feel like you're wearing like nothing. I love the color. They're like cherry. Yeah. They're such a good red. Yeah. Into it. yeah I need to look at your link and go get them.
00:36:03
Speaker
I'd so appreciate it. Thank you so much. Trendsetter. oh I've been thinking about ordering another color genuinely. I'm like, what else do I need? I love these red ones. All my friends, they they all wear those, but they're like the Amazon brand. And they have like cheetah ones, but they're kind of see-through-y.
00:36:22
Speaker
I don't know. They're cute. they're like netted? Yeah, they're very cute. Like, I just need to get some. I i need to pull the trig. I've been like waiting because I buy everything at Target now. I'm just like, I'll just get some at Target and I haven't seen any.
00:36:34
Speaker
Yeah, I was going to say, they're such a good like spring transitional shoe, you know? Mm-hmm. Just thinking like, wow, we have like, remember, I just, January is usually like 500 months old or long, old.
00:36:51
Speaker
hold We're not good at math today. i just always feel like January is so long. January and February, I'm like, let's let's get through these. Let's get through these months.
00:37:04
Speaker
um I'm ready for spring already. I'm usually such a winter person.
00:37:11
Speaker
I am already dreaming of spring, to be honest. However, you know that i've we've talked about this on the pod. Like your busy time is like August through December. And I feel like mine is like December through May or like April. You got birthdays coming up. Yeah. Like, yeah. literally this morning, Alice was already talking about how it's almost DV's and her birthday. And I was like, girl, you're like, stop it. We got a little bit of time So like a month ish.
00:37:42
Speaker
I know, which is crazy, but we're going to do a, we're doing a joint birthday party for sure. yeah yeah And I think we're going to blow it out. Like, I think I might, I'm going to, I gotta, I have, I haven't really set plan I haven't even set a date, but I am going to blow it out and just have it just be a Did Vinny build something in your backyard?
00:38:02
Speaker
He did on the second. So whatever that is, I was like, that structure looks great. Whatever. looks um ey Cause we don't have a garage at all. So that is basically his shed. So I know if you have been with us for a while at our old house, he had built me a she shed that was supposed to be my office slash podcast studio. It was like literally pretty much done. It had drywall. it had like all sorts of stuff. It was like going to be air conditioned and everything, uh, got completely destroyed in the flood. I never got to use it. Um, RIP to that. um
00:38:41
Speaker
so, but when we moved into this house, obviously we, it has an extra bedroom. So this is my office, but we have no garage and, if you know my husband in construction, he is like Mr. Tools, Mr. Have Everything He Needs to build a house at any moment.
Home Projects and Future Plans
00:38:57
Speaker
So we, ah he needs a shed. So he built a shed. It actually is cute. It has like a slanted, it's so cute. And we're putting like siding on the side and it's going to have like a cute metal roof. And then we're hanging string lights from it to the house. Cute.
00:39:15
Speaker
So yeah, he builds that. It's so great. He really is so talented. Like he did it in a day. Like was so crazy. I was like, wow, this is so impressive. And he, good job. No, he's, he's great. He really is. He loves what he does, which is like so nice, you know? um So yeah, we have that up in the backyard now and they're going to finish it. It still needs like siding and stuff, but yeah,
00:39:42
Speaker
They're finishing it like within the next week. And then, yeah our backyard transformation should be done. Like that's, well, what I, to to bring it back to the birthday party thing I was talking about. obviously I want to have like a blowout birthday party for the girls. And so I've told him I'm like everything. And I mean, everything I want the, we want to have the back porch, like re epoxied. And like, I want everything has to be done by the date of this party, which will be, so I need to set the date so that we have, I was like, this is our North star. Like I want to have a perfect, amazing backyard, completely done.
00:40:22
Speaker
by the state and he's like i'm literally march 1st march 1st let's go march march versus glennis's birthday that's my mother-in-law not much well well i mean happy happy birthday glennis on march 1st but i i don't want to have the party on march 1st you know because it's her birthday yeah yeah Gotcha.
00:40:42
Speaker
March 2nd.
00:40:47
Speaker
I don't know what day that's on, but it just felt in the middle, you know? It felt in the middle. Yeah. That'll be great. yeah it'll be It'll be good. i am so excited. I mean, your backyard's like, oh almost there you know yeah it's so close it's so close we've like literally all we have left to do is lay the rock that is going in like the little open areas and then we need to just lay the we bought like rubber flooring for the kids play area so we need to lay that we need to lay the rock and then he just needs to finish the shed and hang the lights water slide bouncy house is a hit yeah
00:41:32
Speaker
We're going to do something like that for sure. And we have that cute walkway from like, we have a paved, not paved, but ah concrete walkway from the side of our house to like the back porch. And I want to do some sort of like balloon arch over the walkway. People to walk in. And then people don't have to walk through my house. I mean, not that I don't mind that, but like. That's what we do on with the birthdays. I'm like, come around back.
00:41:55
Speaker
Don't go inside of my house at all, please. Yeah. Thank Even though they they always do. They like coming in. I don't know, jumping off the beds and stuff. They're crazy. Crazy trials. My ah guest bedroom is still like in shambles. They like somehow they put all the pillows on the ground just like to jump off the bed onto the ground.
00:42:15
Speaker
So they ripped all the sheets off of it. I'm like, OK, I just haven't even attempted. It's what? The fifth? I was going to say. haven't looked at it. I actually meant to say this sometime in this episode, so i'm just going to say it now. It's like for me, like there's still some like New Year's-y things I haven't gotten to yet. Like I always like make – like i've I've done a little bit of like reflection and goal setting and all that, but I really haven't done my full – I need it until the 15th, like genuinely. I feel like I'm just – I mean you say that. Like you are like the real year starts –
00:42:50
Speaker
Yeah. Maybe like next week. If you are going into right now, like into this first week of like the new year feeling behind like or overwhelmed still or like still not in a routine, like give yourself some grace because – especially as moms, like we've been sprinting for two weeks basically. So like take the next two weeks to like slow down, get back into a routine and like reflect a little bit. And then you can like really start new, if you want to do that, like,
00:43:21
Speaker
halfway through the month it doesn't have to be right now funny you say that I saw like this influencer I follow that it doesn't feel natural like for her and I kind of feel this way too to like feel like new like just yeah because it's January 1st because it's like the dead of winter like I'm not inspired by the feeling of the way it is outside it's cold Like, it's, like, really hard to feel like you can reset at this time. And, like, she was saying, she's so so much more, like, a spring reset person. And that's kind of how I feel, too. But I'm more so, like, a fall-ish. like I was going to say, I feel like everyone has their own, like, cycle of, like, when they feel a jolt. I feel like, for me, it's, like, before summer. Like, I feel like some of my best months or times is, like, June. like Yeah.
00:44:11
Speaker
Mm-hmm. you know, May and June is like, yeah. So I, I feel that way. I get that. So it was very interesting. I was like, you know what? I know it's like, you have this narrative that you have to like have all these goals and set all these things. And if you don't achieve them, it's like, Oh, I didn't do it this year. i just like, maybe just doesn't align with your, your vibe. So Yeah, I feel it.
00:44:32
Speaker
But that's why I get it. I sometimes i think that's why I do like me starting at 45 last month it was so that I could feel like I'm not behind.
00:44:43
Speaker
i do that a lot. Like I have to get a little head start so I can see if I can actually do it. So I don't let myself down. yeah.
00:44:54
Speaker
I get that. I feel like that's a good strategy, though. And you've learned that, like, you need, like, that's what works for you. I have to prep. I'm a prepper. I have to do that. Even, like, my life, I still, I i do it for everything.
00:45:07
Speaker
Mm-hmm. But. Well, I'm excited about this new year with you and with mom
Podcast Evolution and Motherhood Journey
00:45:15
Speaker
group chat. I was going to say, i think we should post on our stories like today, maybe like, what do you want to hear from us in the new year? yeah i feel like we're probably going to sit down and like plan all of our recordings. We have a ton of guests in the pipeline that we need to like choose from. for this new year. And I feel like we need some feedback of like what what people want to hear from us. What do you want us to talk about? um Yeah, we'll have our big sit down strategy sesh and we usually plan like three months in advance what topics we want to talk about. So any feedback would be amazing. Yeah.
00:45:55
Speaker
I was also going to say maybe we haven't done really an episode about each of us. Like since the beginning. That fun. And I feel like some things have changed. Like in the beginning, you were like part-time and pregnant, obviously. And if you're an avid listener. You get know me. Yeah, kind of like a get to know Whitney and a get to know Candice episode. And it's like an opportunity for each of us to like interview one another kind of. Oh my God.
00:46:24
Speaker
And we can get some questions from the audience and do like a Whitney specific episode and a Candice specific episode. Yeah. Like in the beginning i was still pregnant with Margo and you were like trying to get pregnant. Yeah. We were trying.
00:46:38
Speaker
I really like thought about today how I want to go back and listen to that time right before I had Margo and see like how I was feeling becoming a family of four. Like I was like, i I want to find an episode where we like talked about that. I i genuinely thought about that this morning and then just seeing um how I felt kind of maybe like four months post Like, I just want to see, like, where I was.
00:47:01
Speaker
yeah it's so nice to be able to go back and be able to hear all that. There are moments recently where I feel like, oh, I haven't done enough, like, memory keeping or I haven't, like, written enough about things that I love. And then I remember...
00:47:16
Speaker
We have a treasure Then remember that we have this. Yeah. Like I have this podcast where like I'm literally dumping all of my unfiltered thoughts. Like have memory trove. Our kids are going to literally be like y'all are crazy one day.
00:47:30
Speaker
She's going to be like were you obsessed with me or did you hate me? Which one? And I'm like both. You're like I'm sorry. This is how I was feeling in the Alice and Evelyn if you're listening to this i love you so much. You're the literally light of my whole life. I'm obsessed with you.
00:47:47
Speaker
If you're 21 and listening, we love you. This is us just figuring out motherhood.
00:47:56
Speaker
All right. Well, happy 2026. I love you so much. Can't wait to see what this year holds. And I'll see you next time. Metal to the metal, bitches. Let's go. yeah