This week we're recapping our favorite things from the past year, including movies, books, purchases, favorite memories and new things that we tried.

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Favorite movie:

Elsie - Weapons and The Italian Job (1969)

Emma - Wicked: For Good

Favorite book:

Elsie - The Wedding People and 100 Years of Solitude

Emma - Lessons in Chemistry, Funny Story, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Favorite purchases:

Elsie - Louise Carmen Journal and her kitchen

Emma - Lavender Birkenstock Clogs, pastel lime green sweater, blue sweater, scarfs, and new tattoo

Favorite memory:

Elsie - Going to italy

Emma - Hugo walking and going to Italy

Favorite new thing you tried:

Elsie - Water color painting

Emma - eyeglasses and eating raw fish/sushi

Favorite candle:

Elsie - Walmart Fresh Cut Frazier

Emma - Bath and Body Works Leaves, Burlap Bag, and Thistle Farms

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This week we're doing a Comfort rewatch episode for a holiday movie that we love, The Family Stone from 2005 and we're dedicating this episode to Diane Keaton.

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Cozy interiors:

Front room with the Christmas tree

Entryway

Favorite moments:

Emma - Love story between Amy and Brad, when the sister can't get the engagement ring off her finger, and the mom and dad in bed when they show she's had a mastectomy

Elsie - Bar scene, opening scene of Diane Keaton looking at Christmas tree, Judy Garland scene, and when she spills the egg mixture on the floor

Moment you cringed the hardest:

Emma - From the beginning when they are really mean to Meredith

Elsie - When he goes for her sister

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This week we are riffing about our favorite Christmas cookies to make every single year, and we're updating you on our novels. So two of our favorite subjects, cookies and novels!

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Top 3 Christmas Cookies:

Emma - Butter cookies, Snowball cookies, Peanut butter Blossoms, and Puppy chow

Elsie - Sugar cookies, Gingerbread cookies, Thumbprint cookies, and Oreo truffles

Novel Update:

Emma - On third draft - still need to have it proofed one more time

Elsie - Rewrote entire novel after getting feedback on it

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're going to share ideas for putting together advents, unique ideas, low cost or free holiday gift ideas, epic personalized gift ideas and neighborly gift ideas. And we'll also share our book report.

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Adult Advent Ideas:

Books

Lipgloss

Hair oil

Dutch oven

Water bottle

Small treats

T-shirt

Kid Advent Ideas:

Reuse old toys

Cookies

Candy

Snacks

Creative Gift Ideas:

Watercolor post cards

Fancy set of watercolors

Journal

Low Cost (or free):

Used book that you loved

Pictures

Epic personalized gift ideas:

Leather bound of their fave book

CD player with CDs

Record player with records

Go on Etsy

Jewerly

Recipe engraved on cutting board

Quilts

Fancy food

Snow outfit (for kids)

Art

Neighborly gifts:

Teachers - Have kids make cards with picture and money inside

Jar of baking ingredients

Free library

Book report

Elsie: Piranesi by Suzanna Clark Emma: Apprentice to a Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we are talking all about holiday traditions, things we do for Christmas, things we do for Thanksgiving, anything cozy, interesting or quirky. And at the end of the episode, we'll also have a book report.

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Themed Thanksgiving Ideas:

Greek

Ralph Lauren Polo Bar

Indian

Dim sum

Chinese

Mexican

Book Report:

Elsie - Audition by Katie Kitamura

Emma - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Alma Cuervo

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing all the details of our recent trip to Italy, specifically Florence and Venice. If you're planning to travel to one of those places, or if you're in the mood to just travel vicariously through our stories, it's gonna be a big story time episode today.

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Florence:

What we did :

Art museum

Combo movie theater/book store

Perfume shop

What we ate:

Cacio e pepe

Squash blossom

Gnocchi

What we bought:

Got tiny tattoos

Emma - silk scarf, stove-top espresso maker charm necklace

Elsie - moth and butterfly platter, Italian translation of The Secret History, 3 toys for Oscar, marbled journal, tiny marbled books for kids

Venice:

What we did:

Canals

Peggy Guggenheim collection

Gondola tour

What we ate:

Pizza

Pasta

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Book report

Elsie: Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico Emma: Secret History by Donna Tartt

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Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing our holiday seasonal bucket list and how to make your own. If you're like us and you get a little overwhelmed by the long to-do list this time of year, we definitely recommend creating a bucket list to keep the magic in your schedule during the busiest season.

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Elsie:

Polar Express

Cookie baking marathon

Christmas movie marathon

Be extra thoughtful and creative with gifts

Put favorite books in her free library

Emma:

Polar Express

Sunday night dinner and treats

Make Hugo's first hair ornament

Holiday Movie Night

Take Oscar to paint pottery

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing our stories about how we're changing careers in our thirties and forties. What led us to this point and the logistics of making it happen. If you are in a similar position or dreaming about starting a new career, we hope that this episode will be helpful and encouraging for you.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

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When approaching your second act:

Give yourself every bit of training you would give your kid

Invest in your education

Form a business plan in phases

Interview other people who are doing what you want to do

Start small

How to find support during this time in life:

Find groups of people doing the same thing

Talking to a therapist

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing the story of how we became influencers and why we decided to retire from it over the past few years. There are so many pros and cons to this career path that we don't hear talked about often enough. In this episode, we'll share our experiences as well as any advice for anyone considering going into influencing.

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Pros of influencing:

• Working with favorite brands
• Getting paid to craft
• Pairs well with other jobs

Cons of influencing:

• Mean comments
• Risky career
• Not a steady paycheck

Tips for being an influencer:

• Think of your business like a table - it needs a lot of legs to stand up right
• Invest your money
• Build something you can keep later
• Have a newsletter

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This week we're sharing our annual tradition Ghost Story episode. Every year we read listener submitted ghost stories and it's so much fun. If you're easily scared, don't worry most of the stories are typically pretty cute but we'll give a warning if anything is going to be scary.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

You can try OneSkin with 15% off using code "MESS" at oneskin.co.

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

This past year Emma and I both spent a significant amount of time off social media after more than fifteen years working professionally as social media influencers and running online businesses. Today we're going to share what we learned offline including the pros and cons and how we want to approach social media moving forward.

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Listen to Episode #247: One Year without Social media with Elise Cripe

Pros and cons:

Pros: Boredom is a gift, get into the flow easier, more time, learn more about yourself

Cons: Feels lonely, FOMO

What did you miss?

Emma: Catching up with random friends and not being up to date on current events

Elsie: Book Tok

Anything surprising?

How easy it was and how little it's missed

Book Report:

Elsie - My Brilliant Friend (Neopolitan Series) by Elena Ferrante

Emma - Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com

Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.