Friendlier

Sarah Kopper & Abby Olena

Friendlier is like eavesdropping on a phone call between Sarah and Abby, long time friends—and now parents—who love to talk, read, and eat. Every episode we review books, share recipes, and explore a sometimes random/sometimes serious topic. Join us!

  • 33 minutes 38 seconds
    Day in our (fall) lives

    Day in our (fall) lives

    We share the details of our days from Tuesday October 22nd. You can also listen to our first day-in-the-life episode or similar episodes from 2020 and 2022 if you’d like to see how our days have changed. Links we mentioned:

    Life lately

    Abby and Sarah both share about recent trips.

    Reading lately

    Abby enjoyed listening to Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle.

    Sarah read Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy by Cait West.

    Eating lately

    Sarah enjoyed new camping food while Abby was disappointed with Texas fair food.

    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    3 December 2024, 5:00 am
  • 28 minutes 16 seconds
    Our dream lives

    Life lately

    Sarah has a running injury and is rethinking her fall race plans.

    Abby and fam had an incredible long weekend at the beach.


    Reading lately

    Sarah shared two nonfiction hits: Behind Their Screens by Emily Weinstein and Carrie James and Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey.

    Abby read yet another witch book, The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings.


    Our dream lives

    We talk about what we dream of for our lives in 5, 10, 20 years, as well as what dreams we'd have if money was no object or if we could go back in time and change things.


    Eating lately

    Abby has found the perfect snack for work: individual cottage cheese cups.

    Sarah made a vegan chocolate cake for Neil's birthday.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 October 2024, 6:10 am
  • 29 minutes 34 seconds
    Transportation update

    Transportation update

    We share our current transportation situations, how they've changed since our last episode on the topic, the challenges and joys of this stage, and our transportation dreams for the future.

    Life Lately

    Abby is over the summer and ready for fall.

    Sarah's family is adjusting to new school year routines with HP in middle school.

    Reading lately

    Abby loved the witchy vibe of Weyward by Emilia Hart.

    Sarah got a lot out of listening to Die With Zero by Bill Perkins. She originally heard about the book from this podcast interview.

    Eating lately

    Sarah and E are making Thai iced tea with boba (and these straws).

    Abby enjoyed the taste of fall with a new apple cake recipe.

    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    3 September 2024, 5:00 am
  • 31 minutes 59 seconds
    Choices in parenting

    We chat about the ways in which we support our kids to learn to make choices and how that's changed in the different seasons of parenting.


    Life lately

    Sarah and her people had an amazing week at family camp.

    Abby is over summer and ready for school to start again please and thank you.


    Reading lately

    Sarah read the contemporary romance Better Left Unsent by Lia Lewis

    Abby loved the trio of queer romances in the Love and Other Disasters series by Anita Kelly.


    Eating lately

    Abby made the crunchy roll bowl from Pinch of Yum.

    Sarah and E are testing out a chocolate peanut butter cake recipe.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 August 2024, 5:18 am
  • 27 minutes 49 seconds
    Midyear check-in, 2024

    Checking in on 2024

    We reflect on how the year is going so far, remind ourselves of our words for the year, and look ahead to the second half of 2024.

    Life lately

    Abby is starting a new job.

    Sarah loved the show The Break: A New Rock Musical.

    Reading lately

    Abby thoroughly enjoyed Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Törzs.

    Sarah recommends two romantic comedies: Funny Story by Emily Henry and The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren.

    Eating lately

    Sarah tried a new breakfast casserole (with croissants!).

    Abby's family enjoyed this street corn recipe.

    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 July 2024, 12:57 pm
  • 28 minutes 23 seconds
    Family life lately

    Family life lately

    We chat about what's going well and not so well in our families these days, as well as share some optimism about things that have been hard in the past and aren't any more.


    Life lately

    Sarah's children are out of school and summer has begun!

    Abby is eagerly anticipating a friend group camping trip to Rickwood Caverns State Park.


    Reading lately

    Sarah read the nonfiction book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.

    Abby enjoyed the spicy romance Scandalized by Ivy Owens, which is a pseud for Lauren Billings (half of romance-writing duo Christina Lauren).


    Eating lately

    Abby is very into these probiotic sodas from Trader Joe's.

    Sarah introduced her children to cinnamon sugar bagels, and they are a hit.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 June 2024, 12:36 pm
  • 26 minutes 22 seconds
    Obsessions

    Obsessions

    We share what we've been into lately, from camping to curry. Links mentioned:

    Life lately

    Abby's family is down to one car after the Volvo's transmission died.

    Sarah graduated from library school!

    Reading lately

    Abby listened to You Need a Budget by Jesse Meacham and Sarah read the YA historical fiction novel We Are Not Free by Traci Chee.

    Eating lately

    Sarah is making curry with these curry pastes.

    Abby was delighted when her favorite vanilla creme donuts were back in stock.

    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 May 2024, 5:00 am
  • 27 minutes 38 seconds
    Getting stuff done

    We chat about how good we are at getting things done, which tasks are easy for us to start and finish, and whether anything helps us check things off our lists.


    Life lately

    Sarah (along with all of Bloomington) is prepping for April 8's solar eclipse.

    Abby got a puppy, Edie.


    Reading lately

    Sarah highly recommends the YA novel, In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (especially the audio version).

    Abby has been slowly making her way through the first three books of the Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen.


    Eating lately

    Abby hacked a grocery store cookie cake for Pepper's birthday.

    Sarah tried out this Pad Thai recipe.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 April 2024, 6:07 am
  • 23 minutes 18 seconds
    Looking ahead to turning 40

    Life lately

    Abby is feeling good about their family's summer plans.

    Sarah's kids are enjoying some winter hobbies.

    Reading lately

    Abby read True Biz by Sara Nović and Sarah read S.K. Ali's young adult novel Saints and Misfits.

    Looking ahead to turning 40

    As we enter the last year of our 30s, we look back over the last decade, look ahead to our 40s, and share how we hope to celebrate our milestone birthdays.

    Eating lately

    Sarah tried two new focaccia recipes but had the most success with this one from Alexandra Cooks.

    Abby shares about a new Trader Joe's product: garlic asiago cheese dip.

    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 March 2024, 8:56 pm
  • 40 minutes 35 seconds
    Religion and spirituality

    Life lately


    Sarah is thankful that January is behind us, and night shift is going surprisingly well for Abby.


    Reading lately


    Sarah read (and loved) The Good Part by Sophie Cousens.

    Abby listened to Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann.


    Religion and spirituality


    We discuss our experiences with religion and spirituality, growing up, today, and how we think about religion and spirituality as parents.


    Eating lately


    Abby ate Torchy's Tacos every day she was in Texas and has no regrets.


    Make-your-own sushi is a big win at Sarah's house.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment on our show notes, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for listening!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 February 2024, 2:36 pm
  • 29 minutes 55 seconds
    New year's intentions, 2024

    New year’s intentions, 2024

    We set our intentions for the year, share our words for the year, and discuss specific goals in various categories.


    Life Lately

    Abby is looking forward to time with family over the holiday (plus Tex-Mex!).

    Sarah shares to home winds: the headboard Neil made and all the secondhand plants.


    Reading lately

    Abby found a new romance series by Sarah Estep--the Brunch Bros.

    Sarah read the technology parenting book Growing Up In Public by Devorah Heitner.


    Eating lately

    Sarah found success with a traditional caramel recipe and Abby enjoyed apple cider caramels made by a friend. We recommend this thermometer that attaches to the pan.


    If you’d like to join in the conversation, please leave us a comment, email us at [email protected], or find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast. Thanks for


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2 January 2024, 6:00 am
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