This week we're talking about the books that genuinely shifted how we see the world — not just 5 star reads, but the ones that rewired our thinking and books we still find ourselves talking about years later.

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Elsie's books:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Station Eleven by Emily Sr. John Mandel

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Emma's books:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Nonfiction Bonus:

Elsie: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

Emma: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Book Report:

Elsie: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Emma: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

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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 entering a world in which there are no iPhones, no internet, no apps, no online shopping, no social media no steaming and no smart tech of any kind. Yes: We're traveling to a land where you get advice from magazines, information from encylopedias and to speak to someone you must pick up the phone and dial numbers.

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Things we miss:

• magazines (specifically at Borders bookstore)
• malls in the 1900s
• AOL chat
• maps
• phone books
• phone calls on land lines
• listening to an album start to finish on the day it came out
• scheduling your entire life around your favorite tv show
• no one being about to reach you
• Toys R Us (is an amazon childhood)
• computer lab

GUILTY PLEASURE TREASURE

Elsie: Traitors

Emma: Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies

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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 talking about how to develop your creative palette and style without being derivative. This is a subject that applies across different creative practices from art to writing and even how you dress or decorate your home.

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Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Steps to develop your creative palette:

Step one: Develop your taste (Be a fan! Appreciate art!)

Step two: MAKE DERIVITIVE WORK (keep doing so until your own style emerges)

Step three: Keep developing, keep growing, keep making (to infinity & beyond)

BOOK REPORT

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

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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.

In this week's episode we're diving into how to make vision boards and 5 year plans. If you're in the mood to think about your goals and dreams, you're in the right place. We're also answering some listener questions and engaging in a Hot Take Debate about whether romantic comedies are actually the worst.

How to make a vision board:

Create different categories for your goals (family, work, fitness, etc)

Write in present tense

Get pictures from the internet or magazines

"We overestimate what we can do in a day, but we underestimate what we can do in a year."

Check out Remit Sethi's books:

I Will Teach you to be Rich

Money for Couples

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.

In this week's episode we're sharing our Spring Bucket List since it's officially the first week of Spring. It's still pretty cold where we live, so a lot of this is wishful thinking, but it's fun to plan things to look forward to. We're also sharing an extra hot Hot Take Debate about kids and iPads.

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Elsie:

1. Get new hair & general glow up for the joy of it
2. Read all the Brontë novels
3. Start buying fresh flowers & practicing making little arrangements
4. Paint all the time
5. Finish our Mouse Mansion!

Emma:

1. Easter baskets
2. Decorate entry way
3. Refresh fairy garden
4. Start walking outside again
5. Wallpaper the kitchen

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.

In this week's episode we're talking about the highs and lows working from home and how we balance our career dreams with raising young children. We've got several great listener questions to cover and we'll share an extra hot Hot Take Debate.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

Go to brooklynbedding.com and use my promo code MESS at checkout to get 30% off sitewide

Just use code [MESS] for 15% off the Premium Starter Kit at BranchBasics.com

Our home work spaces:

Elsie - Uses her sunroom as her art studio and moves around to different spaces in her house with her laptop

Emma - Extra bedroom is office, sometimes works from coffee shop or library

Pros and cons of working from home:

Pros - Good way to keep life balanced

Cons - Lots of distractions

How you deal with distractions:

Set timer to get tasks done

Time boxing

Use a reward system

Book Reports:

Elsie: The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Emma: Twisted Love by Anna Huang

HOT TAKE DEBATE Anne: Here's my hot take: we don't need any more movies based on books. They're different mediums! Let books be books and movies be movies. I want to see more movies that were written to be MOVIES and tailored to that medium, written to take advantage of all the cool things you can do onscreen. Same for books: I want more authors to take advantage of the cool things you can do in a book that you CAN'T do onscreen. I've read books that felt like they secretly wanted to be screenplays. Play to the strengths of your medium! No more crossing the streams!

A Joke & A fact with Nova.

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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 talking about mindset shifts that changed our lives. Sometimes, before your life can change, your perspective has to change first. We're also doing a rapid fire hot take debate with a bunch of listener submitted hot takes.

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Mindset Shifts:

1. What's the best that could happen?
2. Why not me?
3. Cheer for yourself like you would others
4. Practice being an optimist
5. We overestimate what we can get done in a day but we underestimate what we can get done in a year
6. Learn to see patterns, possibilities and opportunities

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 talking about the inevitable experience of failure and how to hone the skill of starting over. Setbacks can be crushing, but they only turn permanent if you quit. In this episode, we're sharing our own vulnerable failure stories and the things that have helped us to get back on our feet.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

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Mindset shifts:

Sometimes you have to quit

no one owes you anything

BOOK REPORT

Emma: Uprooted By Naomi Novik

Elsie: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

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 winter comforts that reliably get us through our least favorite season of the year.

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Winter Comforts:

Elsie: Books in bed!

Emma: Snow Suit

Elsie: Hot water - tea, coffee, apple cider, hot toddies, hot tubs, and bathes

Emma: Daydream, redecorate, and organize your house

Elsie: Go out with friends. (get out of the house!!)

Emma: Game of fire, cozy life

Guilty Pleasure Treasure:

Elsie: Christopher Nolan movies

Emma: Turkish Delights and Vanilla powder from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Book Report:

Elsie: The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas

Emma: The Ministry of Time

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 watching the 1995 classic Empire Records. We're also doing a hot take debate about technological advances, and we're bringing back our segment guilty pleasure treasure.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

Go to brooklynbedding.com and use promo code MESS at checkout to get 30% off sitewide

Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home.

Guilty Pleasure Teasure:

Elsie - American Funyuns

Emma - American Oreos

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 are discussing core values. We'll share our results from the Values Bridge quiz, as well as our thoughts on how defining core values can improve your life. And in our hot take debate, we're discussing separating art from the artist and rounding it out with whether or not we refrigerate our butter. All the important things that you need to know.

Thank you to this week's sponsor:

Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/abm

https://thevaluesbridge.com/

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.