This week we're discussing big and small things we want to learn. This episode is a great space for brainstorming. If you've been thinking that you'd like to pick up a new hobby. We're each discussing five big and small things that we'd like to learn in the near future. And we're also doing a hot take debate on the topic of plastic treat bags at children's birthday parties.

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5 Things we want to learn

Emma:

1. Learn Spanish
2. Play piano
3. Learn to write microfiction
4. Cooking and recipes
5. Painting

Elsie:

1. Water Marbling
2. Writing poetry
3. Classical painting lessons
4. Make 3 Ina Garten recipes
5. Book binding

Book Report:

Emma - The Cottage Around the Corner by D. L. Soria

Elsie - The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

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This week we're talking about Elsie's new newsletter, why newsletters are sometimes even better than blogs, and our advice for how to make your newsletter stand out if you're starting your own. We are also going to be debating a listener hot take that's about homeschooling.

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Check out Elsie's newsletter: https://www.elsielarson.com/

Check out Elise's newsletter: https://www.elisejoy.com/

What will the newsletter be:

Cozy

Curious

Photos of crafts and things she's making

Stories and essays

Life updates

Entertaining

What the newsletter won't be:

Writing DIYs

Not written by AI

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 winter bucket lists (aka how to survive the cold season if you live in a region like we do). We'll also be debating a hot take that personally makes Elsie's blood boil. Let's jump in!

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Emma

1. Always have a candle burning and always make tea with dinner
2. Organize library room
3. Go room by room and clean and organize all the closets and cabinets in her home
4. Work through reading all of her craft book stash
5. Bake herself a birthday cake

Elsie

1. Declutter year - eliminate ALL the clutter in her home
2. Paints are always out this time of year
3. Old movie bucket list
4. Start a new photography era
5. Thrifting and flea markets (going more frequently this year)

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.

We just wanted to wish you a wonderful Christmas or holiday, and we decided to put together a supercut of all of Nova's meditations, just for fun, because they bring us so much joy. Thank you for being here all year, and we're so excited to keep going into the new year.

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 goals for the new year and our process for creating tactile vision boards. We'll get a little woo-woo and share our experiences with manifesting and debating a literary hot take.

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Emma's goals for 2026:

• Query The Wedding Photographer
• Write first draft of Sundaes are for Lovers
• Write first draft of "Icon"
• Do a quarterly visual art project
• Cook her way through a cookbook

Elsie's goals for 2026:

• Query The Surrealist (hoping to get a fiction agent and then sell the book)
• Complete "Project Lighthouse"
• Launch my weekly newsletter: The Lost Arts - sign up at elsielarson.com
• Be active on social media (have a professional relationship with it)
• A lot of small goals like create mini routines, take photos every day, get nails done, read 52 books and go on walks

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 recapping the goals we set for ourselves for 2025, what we accomplished, what we didn't and anything that we're keeping on the list for 2026. We're talking about what makes a good goal and our personal goal setting criteria. We're also sharing our weekly book report and beginning a new segment where we debate listeners hot takes at the end of every episode!

The goals we set in our 2025 NY Goal episode:

Emma:

Get a minivan - No

Ambitious food blogging list - Had to pivot in April

Pitch cookbook idea - Did pitch but not working on right now

Emma's romance (outline and write half) - Yes

Elsie:

Write every day - No

Query my novel - Yes

Write second novel - Started it

Launch art website and sell art - Did sell art but didn't make a website

One renovation to rule them all - Yes

Most proud to have accomplished in 2025:

Elsie - Got passports and taking first trip

Emma - Finishing her novel

Unforeseen project you spent a lot of time on in 2025:

Elsie - Rewriting her novel

Emma -Hugo

Accomplishment that wasn't on the list:

Elsie - Retraining for a new career

Emma - Celebrated 40th Birthday

Book Report:

Emma - Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Elsie- The Uncool by Cameron Crowe

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 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

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 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

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 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

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 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.