Hello, my friends. We are wrapping up the best beach week in Florida. I let Finn stay up way past his bedtime tonight and I’m staying up past mine to try and soak up every last minute of relaxing in my happy place. 🙂

I can’t resist sharing this photo of Finn that I snapped this afternoon after our last swim of the trip. I’ll have a full recap of our Florida week in my next post.

For this one, I wanted to share some things that I have been listening to and watching lately. I’m going to do a separate post about what I’ve been reading.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO: PODCASTS

I listen to podcasts all the time. When I’m walking, running, folding laundry, doing chores around the house, driving places in the car. I love them. Here are some episodes that have really hit home for me lately.

• We Can Do Hard Things: Episodes 118 and 119 with Cheryl Strayed – one of the very first podcasts that I fell in love with was Cheryl Strayed’s Dear Sugar. I was heartbroken when they stopped making it. It was lovely to have her on two episodes of one of my newer favorite podcasts, We Can Do Hard Things.
• We Can Do Hard Things: Episode 115 with Chelsea Handler – On Breaking Up and Being Unbreakable – really touching to see Chelsea Handler so raw, honest and open. The way she framed her recent breakup with Jo Koy and the way she talks about the work she’s been doing on herself is inspirational.
• We Can Do Hard Things: Episode 110 with Marisa Renee Lee – Why Grief – Like Love – Is Forever
• Tara Brach – The Three Steps of Letting Go
• Goop: Gwyneth Paltrow x Terry Real – Moving Toward True Intimacy – I used to be an avid listener of the Goop podcast but ever since Elise Loehnen left, I rarely tune in. I’m glad I this podcast episode because the conversation was thought-provoking and made me want to buy Terry Real’s latest book, US: Getting Past You and Me To Build A More Loving Relationship.
• On Purpose: Gary Vee ON – Living Without Judgment and How to Stop Beating Yourself Up When You Make Mistakes – This episode was packed full of really helpful takeaways. I listened to parts of it two or three times over.
• Yoga Medicine Podcast – the whole thing! 10/10 recommend this one for fellow yoga teachers and yoga students wanting to deepen their experience with the practice.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO: CONCERTS

I saw Garth Brooks in Charlotte a few weeks ago and it was one of the best concerts that I’ve been to in my whole life. This was crazy for me because I initially wasn’t really that excited to go. I got invited to tag along with some friends and didn’t have anything going on that Saturday night so I figured, “why not?” The week before the concert I scrolled through some Garth Brooks songs and was surprised by how many I knew and actually really liked. While I’ve never been a hardcore country music fan, I did listen to my fair share of country growing up in Georgia. I had several Garth Brooks CDs.

I am here to tell you that this man can put on a show! He almost exclusively played his old stuff and I probably knew all but 4-5 songs out of 25+. I sang, danced and smiled the night away and it was EXACTLY what I needed in the midst of the year that I have had. It was such a fun and light night…that found me walking through Uptown Charlotte holding my boots after the show and eating fries at midnight.

If you ever get a chance to see Garth Brooks in concert and are even remotely a fan, GO! He was so genuinely enthusiastic about playing for us and the show truly felt like an experience. Trisha Yearwood even came out and joined him for a few songs.

WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING: MOVIES

I took myself to see the Elvis movie the night before the Garth Brooks concert. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Back story, I have been and Elvis fan since childhood. For whatever reason, I got really hooked on the movie Elvis and Me and probably watched it 10+ times growing up. I’ve always found the Elvis story fascinating. This movie was incredible and I sincerely hope that Austin Butler wins awards for his portrayal of Elvis because he knocked it out of the park. The cool thing about this movie was that Bad Luhrmann shot it in such a modern and hip way while also staying true to the factual story. It is told from the perspective of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker who is played by Tom Hanks.

This movie was so immersive. I went from singing and dancing in my seat to tears streaming down my face at the end. We all know what ultimately happened to Elvis but it is tragic and sad.

HALFTIME offers an intimate peek behind the curtain revealing the grit and determination that makes Jennifer Lopez the icon she is, from her performances onscreen and on stages around the world, to her Super Bowl Halftime show, to the recent Presidential inauguration. The documentary focuses on an international superstar who has inspired people for decades with her perseverance, creative brilliance, and cultural contributions. And it’s only the beginning. HALFTIME serves as the kickoff to the second half of Lopez’s life, as she lays bare her evolution as a Latina, a mother, and an artist, taking agency in her career and using her voice for a greater purpose.

I turned this on one night when I was staying in a hotel in Pensacola during my dad’s hospitalization. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. J Lo is one strong and tenacious woman.

The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.

I rented The Worst Person In The World on Amazon recently not realizing that it was a foreign language, subtitled film. It turned out to be exactly what I needed on that night because it forced me to pay attention and I really liked the movie.

WHAT I’VE BEEN WATCHING: TV SHOWS

A love triangle between one girl and two brothers. A story about first love, first heartbreak, and the magic of that one perfect summer.

I discovered the The Summer I Turned Pretty after seeing someone post about it on Instagram stories. I went into it thinking it would have minimal substance but I found it to be engaging. I finished all seven episodes in just a few days, which is not my norm. I was even more shocked to find myself crying at the end of the final episode. While I love Jeremiah and Conrad, I am on Team Conrad and looking forward to the second season.

Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.

I recently subscribed to AppleTV so that I could finally see what Ted Lasso was all about. While I haven’t made it far into that series, I did get sucked right into Severance. It’s different, thought-provoking, a little weird and I can’t wait for season two!

Up Next:

Finishing Ted Lasso

The Bear

Loot

LISTENING TO: BONUS 

I have listened to this Spotify playlist every night for the last five nights while I’ve worked on my computer after everyone is in bed. So soothing.

QUESTIONS

What podcasts are you listening to nonstop right now? 

What are the best concerts you’ve ever been to? 

What shows and movies have you watched recently? What do you recommend?