Nuanced Beauty: Recent Episodes

Christina Szigat

Because the world is nuanced, and we think that’s beautiful. Join us as we lean into the tension of life, with varying perspectives and expectations of ourselves and others, and try to leave space to grow.

So, let’s get Nuanced!

Hi guys!

Have you ever dreamt of JUST buying a RV? Maybe selling your house and visiting all the national parks? Traveling our magestic and vast country! That was Bill and I for a hot minute. We didn't do the thing!

But I happen to know a friend, Carleen, who did just that. Her and her husband welcomed their first son to the family while living the RV life for 3 years, primarily within Texas. In this episode, we dive into all the nitty-gritty, nuanced details of living in an RV. We talk about the features to consider, the maintenance aspects to consider, and many surprising things she learned that she would have never thought of when living in a "normal" home.

I hope you'll enjoy our conversation and either be inspired to go try out the RV lifestyle OR simply leave seeing the nuanced beauty that she discovered along their journey.

Connect with Carleen on instagram: @the_mama_shuffle

(If you want to rent their RV in the near future, reach out!)

Thanks for listening!

If you are enjoying the show, please give us a follow!

You can also reach out via email: nuancedbeauty@yahoo.com

or Instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Hi Guys!

We're keeping the heat up with another challenging conversation. What do you think about gender roles in the church and women in church leadership? Is this is a topic that you have struggled with? Is this a topic that you haven't thought about at all? Is there value in exploring this?

We think so, and there's quite a number of people, books, and resources that have put a lot of TLC into exploring this topic. Within theological debate, you may come across the words Complementarian and Egalitarian as a way to describe two different perspectives here. This answer to this question does not weight in being saved or not, rather, this could be viewed as a secondary topic that describes HOW we walk out our faith.

Why does this topic matter? This topic could be the very thing keeping someone from trusting God. If someone has seen women degraded or devalued and have attributed these actions as "what God thinks about half the population," then yes, this can be a big stumbling block.

It's indeed a nuanced conversation, so I'll leave it at that. I hope you tune in to hear a bit about our church experience, Bill and I coming to faith in college, and where we have thought through this topic ourselves.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

1 Timothy 2:11-15 (but I’d encourage you to read all of chapter 2 to feel the real weight and charge placed on all of us, male and female)

1 Timothy 3:1-12 (qualifications for overseers and deacons section)

Book - No Longer Holding Back by Kat Armstrong

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NOT MENTIONED:

Checkout Theology in the Raw Podcast! Search for “egalitarian” and “complementarian” and a lot of guest episodes will come up.

Thanks for listening!

If you are enjoying the show, please give us a follow!

You can also reach out via email: nuancedbeauty@yahoo.com

or Instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Hi Friends!

We're baaaaaaack. And coming in hot with this episode.

Given the current moment, we wanted to ask the simple question: do we talk about politics?

Bill and I spend the first 10 minutes talking about the political climate and divisive nature looming in the clouds, and how that has maybe shaped our individual decisions to shy away from discussing politics with those closest to us. Perhaps you are afraid of being rejected and misunderstood too? Or perhaps you are worried that the other person will feel hurt by what you believe? Bill and I both have a recent example of this awkward moment in conversations that we shared.

But then:

We wanted to challenge ourselves and others to be vulnerable with the ones you love. Have face to face conversations over time to maybe help shift the tides of the chasm. The point isn't to change someone's opinion, but to be in such close relationships that the closest people in our lives genuinely care what we think, and they want to hear our heart on the matter.

We go first!

We spend the next 15 minutes "modeling" a political conversation as we rehashed some of the thoughts we've been sharing over the past couple weeks.

And lastly, we leave those that feel tense about talking about politics with the challenge to open up to those closest to you. And for those that have a genuine passion for political issues, we ask you to just not be a jerk. Don't be a jerk. It goes a long ways.

Thanks for listening.

If you are enjoying the show:

Connect with us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty
Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com
Consider following the show and giving us a rating and review, or share the episode with a friend in your circle to keep the conversation going.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

Will we see you later?

We reflect back to episode 48 about our yes's and no's, and realize that the podcast needs to be a no for the summer. I have been at it for 77 episodes now, every week, dropping a show, and it's been fun. But also! We have a lot on our plate today. So we reflect back on how this show came to be, the purpose, and where we were at two years ago, and how much has changed and been added to our plate as we establish and root down here.

With that, this is less of a goodbye, and more of a see you later.

My challenge, dear listener, is if you enjoy what you are hearing, would you take the summer months to scroll back through old episodes you didn't hear and give them a listen? Reach out and give us an encouragement if you do.

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I sat down with Kalie, who is the founder of FULLforLife, an online community program that she created to educate and mentor other women around mindset, health and fitness. She was inspired by the example that her grandmother and mother poured into her, and she truly values the generational legacy and impact that we can each have within our families.

She shares a story of how her mindset has changed over time thanks to the example that her grandma walked out in life. We dive into the tension we all face with societal pressures to "do this" and not "do that," but how we also have final say in how we move forward. It is a fine balance between wanting to stand out and uniquely make an impact, WHILE ALSO craving connection and belonging in our relationships. We then dive into eating habits and what it can look like to make gradual swaps to healthier eating, portion control, and having the right mindset around what we are eating so that it doesn't hold greater power over us than it should. Lastly, we dive into some details about what exactly the program offers.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Polland

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Want to get in touch with Kalie?

Find her on Instagram and Fb: @FULLforLifegal

Email her at: fullforlifegal@gmail.com

Or checkout her website: www.fullforlife.com

Thank you for listening today!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

Let's kick this show off by noting that we have VERY limited experience in this arena. But like all good talkers that B.S. with the best of them, we definitely have thoughts and things.

We polled our friends on possible show ideas and this topic came up. So, here we are, 2-3 months into a microgreens business, and just under 2 years into podcasting, and we are sharing our thoughts on risk taking and small business.

I hope you glean some encouragement, and tidbits from our stories, and you also leave behind what didn't resonate while still choosing to listen in.

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEToday I have Bethany on the show to talk all about the hemp plant, marijuana, and cannabis. Currently, she is a sales rep with Green Compass, a USDA certified organic hemp company that specializes in producing hemp products to help our bodies heal from various ailments.Bethany shares what led her into trying these products and then becoming a sales rep. She gives us a little history lesson on the hemp plant, and further explains the difference between CBD use and smoking marijuana. We dive into the nuance of what is and isn't legal, and she also shares some studies that are available, along with a helpful website to do further research.And of course, before wrapping up, we spend some time talking about the stigma of these products. She shares some misconceptions and hurdles she has faced when selling at markets, and we chat about how quickly you might see/feel a difference when using the products. The delivery method and potency are both significant factors!I do hope you tune in to hear the rest. Personally, I knew very little about this topic before chatting with Bethany. I have been in the transportation and military industry for some time, and even CBD products are off-limits. Now, marijuana is legal for recreational use back in Washington, but given my jobs, I never spent any energy learning further.Want to contact Bethany?Facebook group: Wellness and the Buzz about CBDInstagram: @Bethany_L_Lieberman.....As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!Have you heard the declining numbers around alcohol consumption? Why is that? Today Bill leads us through some thoughts on the matter. We think it might have something to do with less social engagements, face to face. We also mention the cost per drinks going up quite a bit to make bars of yester-years less popular. Could the availability of non-alcoholic drinks have helped the decline in drinking? Or perhaps the decline in drinking has led to the increase in NA options. There's also lovely drinks like La Croix and Komboucha that can quench the thirst with some similarity to drinking... Perhaps people are more worried about their health and what goes into their bodies? Or perhaps the presence of other avenues to entertain the dreary soul is gaining traction, think vaping, smoking pot, and screens. All this and many more random thoughts.Enjoy.BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo specific segment this week. Though Bowling Alone got a mention in this episode.Other honorable mention(s) in this episode:-Cheers (TV show intro)-The Graduate (movie) -Jim Gaffigan skit about being seen not drinking. -Steel Magnolias (movie)Thanks for listening!Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

I'm so honored to have Sarah on the show today to talk about a very vulnerable and nuanced topic: Postpartum Depression. I first heard Sarah share her story with a group of ladies at a St. John's BFF Luncheon, and I was moved to reach out. Her story is hard, and I imagine every mom's entrance into motherhood is hard. YES! It's beautiful, amazing, miraculous life. But also, it's physically exhausting, stressful, anxious, and depressing too. Every mom's story is different, but I think we all can relate and resonate with the highs and lows.

Sarah's story has some lows, and some glimmers of hope in the form of a present just for her, that led her to pay it forward to other new moms. She gave back to the new moms in her life in the form of a present to brighten their day. This small mission of hers has expanded into a non-profit mission as of last year. Truly beautiful and inspiring.

I look forward to Present Moms reaching their goal of 120 boxes this year!

Want to connect with Sarah?

Firstly, checkout her website: www.presentmoms.org

Additionally, find her on instagram: @presentmomsorg

Or search for her business page on Facebook and give them a follow......As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

It's opening day of baseball season. And what better way to start than to ask ourselves "Is baseball boring?" You see, Bill watches baseball, and I occasionally watch it, but not really that much. I also think of it as a dying sport.

BUT Bill and I spent a whole 25 minutes exploring the ins and outs of the sport. The stats, the wonky pranks the players play on each other, the beautifully slow pace of play. There is no other sport where you can listen to the announcers talk about the most random of things in the middle of a multi-million dollar production. And, of course, we also have to discuss the possibility of visiting all stadiums in just one season. Because after all, there are 164 (cough, cough 162!) games in a season.

I hope you if you fall in the same camp as me, Christina, you are challenged to see baseball with just a little more glimmer than when you started listening to this episode.

Because, as said in Willy Wonka, a little nonsense now and then is treasured by the wisest men.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

No specific segment this week.

Other honorable mention(s) in this episode:

-Moneyball - movie

-Willy Wonka - movie

Thanks for listening!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I am sitting down with Jac and Jess from St. John's BFF group. By BFF, we are actually talking about Business, Faith & Friendships. This is an interesting networking group that is really taking off in just a few short months. What started as a luncheon, expanded into a fb group, and then launched into a non-profit organization in just 6 short months and has surpassed 2,100 members in the group. Jess and Jac have big goals and dreams to help connect women in their neighborhood to great businesses, and to provide a luncheon space that supports each other's entrepreneurial aspirations.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode:

Goals - Tips on setting goals? Short-term and long-term expectations? How do we make goals measurable and encouraging?
Networking - how do we get beyond awkward interactions that overlap our business and personal life? When did you have a networking situation go terribly awry and what did you do?
All things St. John's BFF - How did St. John's BFF begin? What does Business, Faith, and Friendship mean to the founders? What goals do these ladies have in mind for the organization? In the coming year? and beyond?

.....

Want to connect with St. John's BFF?The best place to find all the details is the website:

www.stjohnsbff.com

If you're local to St. Johns, search for the Facebook group to request to become a member.

Follow the group on Instagram: @stjohnsbff

Catch up with them individually: @jac.kalaher & @jessica.swearingen_realtor_

.....As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEI met Alexia at a yoga class and learned that she's a Dietitian, and since nutrition and health is high on my priority list, I asked her if she'd be up for sitting down to record a show. In this episode we learn a bit about her coaching program and focus our discussion around the three pillars of her business: -Self-care for a busy woman-Eating a heart healthy dietand-Gratitude changes everything!We explore the tension of finding yourself spiraling, or stuck, in a perfection mindset, and Alexia shares a couple questions we can be asking ourselves to move forward. Further, I ask her how she would respond to the "I don't have time to eat healthy!" attitude, and I love how she flips this question to instead ask "Do you have time to eat healthier?" It's a subtle reframing that can support us better. I also ask her how she navigates the information-at-our-fingertips world as a Dietitian, and the many diet options we have all heard about. And lastly, Alexia shares how she has leaned into gratitude to move forward through a stressful season of her life. Gratitude has immense power to shape our experiences!Book recommendation:Body Kindness by Rebecca ScritchfieldWant to connect with Alexia?The best place to find her first is her website: KeepingHealthySimpleClub.comOr catch her on instagram: @keepinghealthysimpleclubAs always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEI sat down with Christina to talk all about dog breeding. We get started with how she got into breeding AKC Long-Haired Dachshunds. We chat a little about puppy mills and unfortunate practices in the industry, and the tension in the "adopt don't shop" perspective. Ultimately, we conclude that there's a lot of circumstances that leave space for both adopting from a shelter and desiring to adopt from a breeder. We also discuss her practices around pricing and raising her puppies. Lastly, she shares some red flags to be aware of when it comes to scams online. But know that requesting a deposit before seeing the puppies is not an unrealistic expectation, but you should never feel rushed by the adoption process. And expect a good breeder to be vetting you as much as you are vetting them when it comes to matching a pup with a good home.Want to connect with Christina?Request to join her fb group: Dashing DoxiesOr catch her on instagram: @_dashingdoxies_As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!Today I have a guest, but I'm not going to call this episode a full-on interview. Really, it is a back-and-forth conversation between two friends.

Michelle and I met years ago as she was helping our church as the Communications Director, and I was volunteering to create a lending library. In an effort to get info in the pre-service PowerPoint, we joined forces to create an appealing AND informative slide. While we have entirely different skillsets, we became instant friends through our deep conversations and how well we complement each other's strengths.

Fast forward to today and my podcast logo, I needed help!

Michelle and I talk about all things branding and HOW exactly we arrived at the logo. I share how my perspective really shifted in this exercise, and how I went from "I don't see the big deal and I should be able to do this on my own" to "ah! Ok, so this is my digital first impression, and I want to set the tone for the listener and draw them in while being sincere about what I am putting out there."

Thanks for Listening!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

Join Bill and I as we dive deep into the nuance that it is to find a SINGLE sock in the dryer. This metaphor was just the perfect accumulation of what life has felt like this week for me, Christina. We dive into having a sick kid, starting a microgreen business, not getting a job that was a possibility and the podcast production changes I am working through because of company mergers and the powers that be changing platforms to edit. All these woes led me to have a life crisis in the event of not finding the matching sock! It was incomplete, just like ALL the other moments in my life lately.

I do hope you will leave encouraged by Bill's humor and our drastically different reactions to how life comes at us. It's great to long for completeness, but not at the expense of consuming the here and now moments. Seek out the beauty in the nuance and hang tight. That will forever be the journey we are on, and some weeks are better than others.

"Dear listener, how do you handle finding one sock when you unload the dryer?"

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

No specific segment this week!

Other honorable mention(s) in this episode:

Willy Wonka / C.S. Lewis (a mis-quote!!! was actually Mr. Rogers) / a bunch of country songs: Beautiful Mess, Front Porch Looking in, Mr. Mom. / Crux of the Biscuit

Thanks for listening!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEBreanna launched a microbakery, offering weekly sourdough bread to the community. She makes 20 loaves at a time, y'all! That's 40 pounds of kneading, and it takes her 36 hours from start to finish. What a process, a science, and most importantly a labor of love. In this episode we dive deep into the nuance it is to make a loaf of sourdough bread. It is simply flour, water, and salt. And yet! It is also a whole lot of feeding a starter, and measuring, and kneading, and waiting, and baking, and waiting. Anyone heard of crumb mapping? After spending 20 minutes discussing HOW to make sourdough bread, we get into the specifics and heart behind Breanna's business. We discuss the hard and easy, as well as the story that led to selecting their name: Haven Bread Co. We chat about why they use organic ingredients, as well as the sweet offerings they sell that incorporate the sourdough discard. Enjoy the show!Her book and podcast recommendation(s):-Artisan Sourdough Make Simple by Emilie Raffa-Ancient Health PodcastWanting to connect with Breanna?Find her on instagram: @HavenBread_Weekly Bread Ordering: www.hotplate.com/havenbreadAs always, thank you for listening in to our conversation. Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

We have not released a coffee chat in quite some time... and really this was us drinking coffee separately as we sent a Marco back and forth. But I appreciate the critique Bill shares of us, THE AUDIENCE, enjoying, or rather NOT enjoying, the halftime show. Sort of a "check yourself" before speaking up harshly about Usher's performance. There's Nuance! Find it! And seek to see the beauty.

Happy Listening!

As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation.Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEI met Katy recently through St. Johns BFF group, and we got to chatting about cleaning and the clutter we accumulate, and all the woes we've gotta work through when it comes to our stuff. It turns out that Katy had recently launched her own business with the heart of teaching others to "make room for what matters in life" by teaching families how to keep their home tidy and declutter when necessary. How perfect, right? She's just the person we need to talk to, so here we are.Katy and I talked through some of her experience with decluttering her own home, how to work through sentimental value in items and what needs to go, as well as the passing of a loved one and stepping in to take care of their space. We also dive in to how to help our children get onboard with a tidy home and tips and tricks to communicate well and help them develop good habits that will set them up for success in life. She gives me some advice on how to work well with my child who seems to be a little more attached to things than I am. And she also shares some tips for joining families together. Katy and her husband are a blended family with five kids, and the process went decently well because they worked hard to make sure each child was seen, and loved, and they focused their intention on sticking together as a family to lift each other up. She believes this has made a great impact on their home and how they work together today.Her book recommendation(s):Anything by Dana K White, but in particular she loved How to Manage your Home without Losing Your Mind.Wanting to connect with Katy?Find her on instagram: @messy.bestie.inc...Website coming soon with course!As always, thank you for listening in to our conversation.Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

If you have children, this episode is one for you. I'm sure you may have felt the strain in navigating WHAT TYPE and HOW MANY activities my kid should be in.

Join Bill and I as we share how our "rules" (cough cough: guidelines) have changed as we are in the early stages of figuring this out. We share the cultural differences we've noticed from west coast to east coast vibes around kids doing sports. We explore the many angles of activities: from organized or unstructured, physical or mental, and independent or group settings. The nuance is aplenty when you explore these factors. But where's the beauty in it? Tune in to hear our thoughts on WHY this even matters and what our heart might be for doing activities in the first place.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

No specific segment this week!

Other honorable mention(s) in this episode:

-Varsity Blues (movie) - Bill quotes a memorable scene

Thanks for listening!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEI thought with New Years resolutions now a month behind us, and potentially in the rear view mirror for many folks (and with MANY of us having goals in health and fitness), Jennifer would be a great guest to share her insights on her health journey and how she's found some peace at a healthy weight. But also, how important it is to NOT make the healthy weight the end goal, but really a starting point to continue forward. What does it look like to reframe your perspective around eating? Jennifer and I sat down to talk all about the nuance of where we are at in our health journeys. Jennifer lost 40 pounds during the pandemic when she tried a program called Optavia. And since then, she has kept the weight off. She felt so passionately about the way this program changed her mindset around food and health that she went on to become a coach with Optavia. Jennifer brings so many great points to the table today and I am sure you will leave encouraged.Join us today as we explore the idea that diets don't work and are not sustainable, without ALSO addressing our mindset and habits along the way.Her book recommendations:1. The Habits of Health by Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen2. Atomic Habits by James ClearWanting to connect with Jennifer?You can find her wellness survey and connect with her here: https://linktr.ee/jennifersicilian/Thanks for listening!

Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help us reach new listeners, or share this episode with a friend to keep the discussion going in your circles.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty! TODAY'S EPISODEHave you ever heard of a transition zone? How do you treat people and react to changing situations in your life? Join us as we explore the many times we’ve felt the tension of the transition zone from comings and goings when we worked at sea. Our most memorable moments and times of growth to understand each other came from the turmoil of these times. Consider a transition zone as any interruption or change to your regular schedule that probably has some built-up expectations and hopes. This could be traveling, getting married, having kids, landing a new job, job loss, empty nesting, and beyond. There’s also an angle in this conversation about how we experience time, and for the person looking to the future and anticipating the change, they might be robbed of the current moment (that’s Christina)! The beauty comes when we are able to name and acknowledge the moment with a little more grace and patience, and the ability to actively try to come together and rediscover each other after traveling. In our experience, we’ve grown through the bumps and more fondly appreciate our time together. Further, we’ve had compassion for other’s experiencing a similar situation.BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo specific segment this week! Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:--none--Other Mention(s):--none--Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEJoin us in exploring the less glamorous behind-the scenes task of helping homebuyers secure a loan. I share our experience in homebuying for the first and second time, and how little I noticed the broker during our first home purchase. But when selling that first home, speaking with the broker to confirm financing before we selected a buyer was pivotal in making our decision. Cheryl and I discuss my experience here and if it were typical. And it turns out there are a lot of options when it comes to brokers and lenders, and further, a broker can shop different lenders and may find better options. Cheryl and I discuss the dynamics between her and the realtors, and her and the buyers. What does the communication look like between everyone throughout the homebuying process? Next, I ask Cheryl about the various home loan options and the guidelines for what percent down is needed to qualify for a loan today. Go figure, there’s room for nuance here too, and weighing the financial decisions related to debt-to-income ratios is something the buyer needs to consider. We then chat about the misconception of a buyer needing to show a steady income for two years in order to qualify for a home loan. There are options to take out an unqualified mortgage, but these have an added risk to the lender and will likely be at a higher interest rate. We talk about what an underwriter does and their role on behalf of the lender.Next up, we discuss what happens on the broker side when the buyer has an accepted offer in hand, and all the people involved in making things come together for closing. Cheryl shares what she wished a buyer would do to make the process run smoothly: plan ahead! Perhaps secure your financial approval even BEFORE you chat with a realtor. And shop around, because not all brokers are created equal. We shift gears and explore the process of becoming a broker in case anyone is interested in pursuing this career. Talking to people and being organized are at the top of the list for fitting traits. Then for the credentialing, the first step is landing your NMLS License, and it’s a hard test! There’s a course as well with hours associated with it to prepare for that test. Once a broker has that license in hand, they need to find a company or a mentor to get some training and experience. Most importantly, accepting that there is always more to learn, and things are regularly changing, so a good broker has to expect to not know everything. I ask Cheryl some personal questions, like what she has enjoyed most and least about this job, and how she juggles the level of flexibility in her schedule and working from anywhere.Wanting to connect with Cheryl?Find her on Instagram: @cheryl.g.sellor lookup Cheryl at ForeverHomeLoans.Find us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners. Or share this episode with a friend to keep the dialogue going.Thanks for Listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODEIt's 2024 and a conversation that a lot of people may be having in the new year: eating healthier! But, is eating "healthy" virtue signaling? Or, more specifically, if you talk about your eating choices, and admit that you eat on purpose or spend more for reasons other than the cheapest box on the shelf, does that make you a better person? Do you come across poorly to those who haven't spent the time and energy, or don't have the money, to dial in their eating choices and habits?

As you might guess, it's more nuanced than that! In this episode, I share my health story, and how drastically my view has shifted on eating "healthy." Having spent most of my teenage years in the midwest and coming from a modest sole-income situation, I most definitely saw buying organic as not necessary and just a way of making someone feel better about themselves, or perhaps superior. And perhaps in my early twenties, health concerns were not at the forefront of my mind either. Fast forward to correcting my BM's and getting rid of seasonal brain fog through diet changes, I flipped my script on eating. It's been a journey!

But now, how do we have conversations with folks who don't think the same as us when it comes to the grocery store? This is SO hard! I share how there's almost this "feeling-it-out" conversation with buzzwords before you get into the vulnerable decisions of what foods you choose. We talk a little about how safe out food industry is in the country, but safe and optimal are two different things. We talk about the double-edged sword of mass food production and crop insurance. We also talk about what is REALLY ours to do, in that we don't need to change anyone's mind on how they eat, but is it possible for us to let go of the cringe, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and be willing to dive deeper into this topic?

Join us!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo specific segment this week! But we did mention in the episode:

-Made to Crave by Lysa Terkuerst (great book!) But I meant to say Hooked by Michael Moss

-Grain Brain by David Perlmutter

-Carnivore Code by Paul SandinoPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:--none--Other Mention(s):ReallyVeryCrunchy Instagram page - she is so good and being over the top poking fun of herself and the crunchy lifestyle.Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE Sarah Carter is the author of "All About Change: How to Successfully Make Personal Life Changes." She is a fellow alum from the US Merchant Marine Academy. She commissioned in the Navy after college, flying the P3 and P8 aircrafts, and has since achieved her masters and accreditations to continue her professional career as a life coach. With 2024 JUST days away, I wanted to bring her on the show today to lean into the topic of New Years resolutions, change, and goal setting.We discuss what led her to make the move from serving to becoming a life coach, and we get into the highs and lows of her job today.Next, she gives us the meaning behind growth and fixed mindset. Yes, these words are commonly used today, but do you know about the initial study and researcher who coined the term?I share my thoughts on fixed and growth mindset around health and fitness, and how I think we can find ourselves oscillating between the two, given such and such life circumstance or season.I quote Sarah's book:"No change ever stands alone, yours or the changes of those you can help (pg. 54)."And we explore how someone might find encouragement by seeing the extent of how a given change can impact others around them. This could be the very motivation they need to proceed!Finally, we dive into New Years Resolutions! Some folks love them and ritualistically reflect and set goals... while others cynically avoid them like the plague, and still others casually approach them with optimism, but are not surprised when their plans fizzle out by February. Sarah's sage advice on setting or forgetting New Years Resolutions? Do it! Set a goal!So we dive into the nuance of HOW to set a resolution, accomplishing said resolution, and reflecting on progress made. Let's not entirely re-invent the wheel and refer back to the good ol' "SMART goals" acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. And truly, celebrate progress along the way (cue "SMART!").Before closing, I ask Sarah for her top fiction and non-fiction read of 2023. Non-Fiction --> Wave: A Memoir by Sonali DeraniyagalaFiction --> The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie BarrowsWanting to connect with Sarah?Find her on Instagram: @sarah_carter_coachHer website: www.InWithTheNewYou.comFind us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners. Or share this episode with a friend to keep the dialogue going.

Thanks for Listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODETracy joins me to talk about the ins and outs of being a photographer and how she stumbled into this career. Tracy took classes in High School and loved it. She then had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and was excited to include a photography class. Years later, she was gifted an amazing Cannon camera, which opened her eyes to shooting on digital. She brushed up her skills through a few classes. Now married, expecting their first baby, and knowing they’d be returning stateside, Tracy began doing shoots for friends in London. Then with the arrival of their daughter, she spent time practicing photography as much as she could and shot photos for her friends’ children to gain experience. In 2013, Tracy Lynn Photography officially launched, specializing in family and lifestyle newborn photography. Congratulations on a decade in the business! We talk about why she focused her efforts on family and newborns, what she loves about photography, and what is her least favorite thing (…filing taxes anyone?). We then discuss different styles of photography out there, in particular her craft of doing fine art portraits for schools rather than the traditional school portrait. We touch on the nuance of setting prices and navigating boundaries around her personal and professional life. Then we dive into the behind-the-scene efforts that go into each photo shoot. I ask Tracy for advice on how to go about selecting a photographer. 1. Checkout their gallery and make sure it fits your style. 2. Ensure your personalities jive. We discuss the art of wedding photography, and the hustle, and glam, and physical endurance that goes into that style. I share my business aspirations that if I ever launched into photography, my niche would be selecting the top 3 photos. Tracy gives me some solid advice on my blind spots for this master plan, and I’ll take that as a sign to stick to podcasting. Lastly we wrap up by exploring the beauty that sets apart a professional photo shoot beyond just pulling out our iPhone. Print your photos, folks!Connect with Tracy on Instagram: @TracyLPhotography View her website: www.TracyLPhotography.comFind us on Instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners. Or share this episode with a friend to keep the dialogue going.

Thanks for Listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODEHow comfortable are you talking about money? At the start of the show we explore varying levels of comfort about sharing a budget. Consider how companies are not transparent about salaries, and just some people grew up absolutely not willing to share how much they make or how they spend their money. Ultimately money reveals our hearts and values, and this gets super vulnerable super fast to communicate. Now, apply that in a marriage. With the start of the New Year around the corner and any folks sitting down to layout their budget for 2024, or re-assessing their expenses and spending to set goals, we thought this would be a good time to share the history of how we came about budgeting in marriage. To join accounts or not? What’s your threshold for spending before you discuss with your spouse? Then we try and offer a couple practical how-to’s before wrapping up. Tune in to hear the rest.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo segment this week but we discussed Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey and shared why we preferred it over the book Total Money Makeover by Dave RamseyPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:--none--Other Mention(s):EveryDollar budgeting app and YouNeedABudget Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.

Thanks for listening!

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Lisa does alterations of wedding dresses in the Pacific Northwest. Her business storefront, Mensonique, is located in Tacoma, WA. I think she has a unique job that not many people know much about.

She shares how she began sewing at 10 years old because her mom thought it’d be a great, practical skill to have. She went from sewing a Teddy Bear, to skirts, and some purses in High School. She then earned a Fashion Merchandising degree from George Fox University. While in college she had opportunities to do dress alterations, but had never done it professionally and felt terrified of making mistakes. But she worked at it. She first worked at a couple Bridal Shops after college, continuing to gain experience, and with time, grew a desire to start her own business. Enter Mensonique and launching a little storefront this past May.

Lisa shares some of the nitty-gritty details about fabrics and layers, and that dresses always seem to take longer than expected to complete alterations. She’s gotten good at her estimates, but it’s a charge by the hour business and she discovers a lot once she gets into the dress and determines what sewing techniques she needs to apply.

We discuss how alterations seems to be a dying trade. Today’s clothing is mostly made overseas for a lower cost and fashion has led to stretchy, loose fabrics. Sewing used to be more cost effective than buying from a store! Who can imagine that?

I ask Lisa how she’d encourage the younger generation tovalue this skillset and she shares some thoughts on how to learn about the process and gain an appreciation for the template and patterns and the layers of detail that can go into fashion.

We discuss trends and fashion designs. Her definition of trend is on point, and she walks me through the decades of wedding dress trends.

We discuss what a client wants in the alterations, and how she navigates offering her professional advice but delivering what they desire.

Lastly, we get her book recommendation: The New Complete Guide to Sewing by Reader’s Digest. It was a textbook from college that could apply to any skill level.

Find Lisa at her website: www.Mensonique.com

Or on Facebook or Instagram: @Mensonique

Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODEWhat's the interest in the concept of Manifestation? Perhaps there is power in speaking things, but to what extent? I can't actually say "I have a million dollars" and it show up in my bank account. But if I say I am dumb over and over again, surely it will become part of my identity and everyone else will believe I am dumb too. ...And is it more important to manifest an outcome, or to be present in the process and the making of you along the way? Lastly "you can giggle at Aaron Rodgers if you want, but he has a point." Tune in to hear the rest.BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo new book this weekPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:Ancient Health Podcast with Dr. Axe and teamOther Mention(s):Misreading Scripture through Western Eyes (book)Be Here Now (book)Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODEToday's episode we revisit personality tests, one of my very first episodes, to get Bill's take on them too. We share the benefits and the cons, and dig into the enneagram, astrology, 16 personalities, Myers-Briggs, as well as the many witty quick quizzes out there like "Which Friends character would you be?"BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo new book this weekPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

The Enneagram Journey with Suzanne StabileOther Mention(s):The NavigatorsFind us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.Thanks for listening!

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEFrom Mariner to Boardgame Maker: Josh was a fellow classmate at the US Merchant Marine Academy with Bill and I. After graduating, he spent several years sailing and was looking forward to coming ashore for his marriage but needed a transition plan. Josh has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and had many ideas but needed to focus his efforts and take the next step. Enter CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives, featuring several famous cats from around the world. Rather, the seed of an idea was planted in 2016, and all great stories begin with a sea story. This one does not disappoint. Josh brought his idea home to Abi, along with several other ideas along the way (tune in for some of the good, the bad, and the ugly ideas that fell to the wayside), but they focused their efforts and felt really drawn to creating this boardgame. Their knowledge really expanded in 2017 after attending Cat Con and Gen Con, where they learned a great deal about budget, kickstarters, and the thriving community of tabletop gaming. Their mission statement: We are dedicated to promoting community and uniting people through play. We are passionate about making games that create an experience full of laughter, fun competition, and stunning artwork that leaves people wanting to play again and again.Not just a game, but a memory!—>Fast Forward to launching a Kickstarter in May of 2021. They had a professional prototype in hand but needed the funding to proceed with manufacturing. Their kickstarter campaign was a quick success, and everyone backing the game or pre-ordering had the physical game in their hands in November of 2022. 6+ years in the making, Josh is now officially a Boardgame Designer/Publisher. Their favorite boardgames shared in this episode: Settlers of Catan, Wingspan, Dice Forge, Jaiper, Splendor, Return to Dark Tower, Viticulture, and DixitTheir game recently became available to purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMW138YP?maas=maas_adg_02B550E6A7EF358CB8159FE4827AE1E6_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas Connect on Facebook: CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives /Instagram: @CATastropheBoardgame / Email: Josh@CatastropheNation.comFind us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Better yet, share an episode with a friend.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEJennifer is the owner of Sweet Grass Essentials and a fellow classmate from the US Merchant Marine Academy. We sat down today to discuss homesteading, or her small farm, and her business, the products she is selling and what she hopes to offer in the future.We discuss the growing trend of people dabbling in gardening and getting back to the basics with foods, health routines, and thinking forthemselves. It’s an exciting movement! We discuss the nuance of semi-homesteading versus a full-out homestead. Isn’t it nice to be able to headto a store and buy things? We talk about milling bread and leveling up your routine as you explore “That’s just what I’ve been doing with this semi-homestead type life is, when I start getting comfortable, now I add an extra layer”–Jennifer from Sweet Grass EssentialsJennifer shares growing up in rural Ohio and having to do a tremendous amount of weeding in their family vegetable garden. Fast-forward to moving away for college, and her ambitions shifted to seeing the city life as where it’s at. …Then, she got married, and found her and her husband embracing both of their upbringings by wanting to own a home on a piece of land. A couple homes into marriage, they landed at their current location, and began their journey with a couple of cows. Then came the chickens, and the garden, and the adventure continues.Next we dive into raising cattle. In the spirit of nuance, I ask Jennifer why her family is comfortable raising and eating their cattle. We both share our appreciation for eating meat and the effort it takes to produce food to sustain our lives. Jennifer shares how they strive to make the most humane and ethical decisions with raising their cattle.Tune in to hear the rest. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONOx-Cart Man by Donald Hall Connect with Jennifer on Instagram: @SweetGrassEssentials Find her products on her website: www.sweetgrassessentials.comFind us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend.

Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODECELEBRATE! Woot woot, we've been recording for just about a year now and this is our 50th episode. Consider it a Q&A with each other AND you, the listener.We discuss our fave episodes, what's been the easiest and hardest thing about podcasting, and what we are looking forward to. THEN we pose a bunch of questions for you!-How can we engage with you better? Should we create a "hotline" so you can text us? -Did you enjoy the coffee chat episodes?-What do you think of the interviews? Should Bill start doing interviews too?-Is there a topic you want us to explore?BOOK RECOMMENDATIONNo book rec this week! really just posing a question:-How do you like the book recommendations? Are you reading any of them? Find us on instagram @nuanced_beauty / Send us an email at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com / Consider following the show and give us a rating and review to help reach new listeners! Or share an episode with a friend. Thanks for listening!

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

Today we just talk about stuff. Things and Stuff. Do you own your stuff? Or does your stuff own you? We share our relationship to stuff, both taking a minimalist view. But we don't stop there, we dig down deep and find the beauty in stuff. The power and connection and experiences found in tangible things.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

---none---

Other Mention(s):

The Goonies (movie)

My Life (movie)

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We explore our yes's and no's in today's show. Are you more comfortable with one over the other? What's your motivation behind giving a yes or a no? And what's your energy level? But also, have you considered who's inviting you to begin with? How will they take your yes or no? Can be be transparent or vulnerable in our response, or would it feel like we were justifying ourselves to explain it? These are all great questions.

Now, with time management, I circle back to the thought "if you want to know what you value, take a look at your calendar and how you spend your time?" Further, if you are feeling burnt out or over-extended, it may be worth revisiting what you are saying yes to, and perhaps some solid no's to restructure your time would be well decided. Lastly, we discuss how there are some things in the day that you really don't have the option to say yes or no to, BUT perhaps we can do the tasks we enjoy more and hand off other tasks to our families. Or perhaps we could benefit by ranking these tasks that we MUST do, and spend a little more time doing the things we enjoy more in order to shift our overall perspective.

Enjoy the show!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONPresent over Perfect by Shauna NiequistPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:---none---Other Mention(s):Ecclesiastes 3:5 Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beautySend us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.comConsider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODEA neighbor is flying a flag that we didn't recognize. Bill in particular felt a discomfort as if the flag is an act of war, but also we live in a country that allows people to protest and speak freely. So what sort of allegiance do you feel when flying a flag? What's the symbolism? The tradition? And how does a State flag differ from a sports flag? This conversation is a free flow of our thoughts and as you might guess, we don't conclude strongly in any direction. Flags matter but what's the meaning in a flag?

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONLiberty Defined by Ron PaulPodcast Mention(s) in this episode:---none---Other Mention(s):Spaceballs movie starring Mel BrooksCurious Christian by Barnabas Piper (book)American Idolatry by Andrew L. Whitehead (book)Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beautySend us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.comConsider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Today I have an old friend from Seattle on the show discussing homeschooling. Eryka grew up in the Chicago area and attended public for her K-8 years, had one year of homeschool as a sophomore, and the rest of High School was at a private school. She went on to get a teaching degree in the Seattle area and then began teaching at a private Christian school. Five years in, she burned out and left teaching for a season. She then returned to teaching, but now as a public school teacher in the greater Seattle area, teaching 6th grade to 32 students. Her family was expecting their first, so she transitioned to a stay at home mom after that year. Then a couple years later, a move from WA to CA, and a pandemic beginning, she accepted a position at a charter school in California to perform as a fully remote Educational Facilitator, where she worked with a number of students in K-12 who were doing at-home schooling with monthly meetings to support the families and students and ensure they were performing at grade level for the curriculum. We dive into some highs and lows that she experienced in all these various settings. Next, we jump into her decision to homeschool her two boys. Her eldest was in Pre-K at the start of the pandemic, and zoom calls were not cutting it. Onward to homeschool despite her strong feelings that she would NEVER homeschool. Her eldest was able to land a spot with the CA charter school where she was remotely teaching. And some time after that, their family moved to TN. No longer a resident of CA, her son could not continue with the CA Charter school plan, and their family made the decision to fully homeschool.I ask Eryka to give advice to the parent with worries and reservations around “I could NEVER homeschool my child." We discuss the ability to pivot plans and how freeing that is, and the abundance of resources available today to be able to do this.Next we dive into the curriculum and program options out there for homeschooling: -Google how to pick a homeschool curriculum for a quiz about the different styles of homeschooling to find what makes sense for your family.-The common styles are: classical, Waldorf, Charlotte-Mason, relaxed, unschooling, outsourcing or online, and then those that do a little bit of all of it (eclectic)-Get lost in this website for further insights about all the options: www.cathyduffyreviews.com-If you’re going to purchase something, you must get a good printer! Checkout the eco-tank printer at Costco.Last question I ask Eryka is to address the assumption that “homeschooled kids are socially awkward.” We both share our thoughts here. I think homeschooling is gaining popularity, so people may meet more and more families choosing this avenue, and thus making it less awkward or uncommon. Podcast Mention -All Things with Jen Oshman-Read-Aloud Revival by Sarah Mackenzie Book RecommendationThe Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

Having returned from a recent trip back to Seattle, we noticed this internal tension we both wrestle with around friends versus family. And not so much versus, as in against each other, but moreso, how some people elevate family as highest priority for connection and support, and other folks elevate friends for that role. In the NW it seemed more common for friends to serve as your go-to support network because a lot of people are transplants to the area. Now in the SE, we see that it seems like family holds the highest rank for this support.

We bounce around our thoughts of what's great and unique about both friends and family. And we also explore the topic of community... family... and how the state/governing body for a great of people set policies based on subtly different perspectives on the family unit or the individual within a communal context.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Friendish by Kelly Needham

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

---none---

Other Mention(s):

Harry Potter

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!INTERVIEW EPISODEToday I chatted with Jennifer, the owner of Grass Fed Skin, a local Jacksonville skin care line that harnesses the goodness of beef tallow to take care of our skin. Before we dive into her company, we explore the question: How do you navigate the tension between Western/acute medicine and an Eastern/holistic approach? She shares her professional experience within occupational therapy for over a decade, alongside her upbringing and intuition guiding her toward a more natural approach to living and health as her family grew. She shares some practical advice on making one swap at a time if you are new to this mindset and trying to limit environmental toxins. We then dive into how her business got started, the benefits of using beef tallow on our skin, and some of the products she carries (anti-aging face cream) and is looking forward to launching soon (deodorant) Jennifer has an Etsy shop, as well as her website: www.mygrassfedskin.comAnd you can follow her on Instagram to learn more or send her a DM with questions: @grassfedskin BOOK RECOMMENDATIONHow to Raise a Healthy Child... in Spite of your Doctor by Robert S Mendelsohn------------------------------------------------Find us on Instagram: @nuanced_beautySend us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.comConsider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!TODAY'S EPISODEFlorida has two growing seasons! So that means early September is second planting season, and as we, by "we" I mean Bill, got our seeds in the ground, my attention was drawn to all the metaphors that God has drawn my attention to when it comes to gardening. This episode was a pretty free flow conversation of the many thoughts on gardening that have spoken to us as Christians.Tune in to hear more. And pardon the speaker quality in this episode!WEEKLY RECOMMENDATIONBack to Eden - video documentary!Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:Joe Rogan Experience episode #2027 with Oliver AnthonyOther Mention(s):-Comedian John Crist bit on many bible verses about gardening feeling so outdated and us 21st century folks having no clue what is being referenced.-Our insta account specifically about gardening @HOAcresFind us on instagram: @nuanced_beautySend us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.comConsider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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TODAY'S EPISODE

As our area prepared for Hurricane Idalia, we were reflecting and came up with this topic: are you a worrier and how do you handle natural disasters? We reflect on our childhood and Bill being in WI, occasionally losing power in the Northwoods, but having a furnace so it being a somewhat peaceful place to get snowed in. And in my upbringing, we had to worry about severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Then fast forward to our years in Seattle, the greatest natural disaster would be an earthquake followed by tsunami. Now, we're in NE Florida and hurricanes are on our radar every season.

People worry differently. So the person who makes a really big deal out of a thing, they're inclined to judge the person who doesn't think it's serious to say "yea, you didn't take this seriously," and then when an accident happens they're inclined to say "I told you so." Then those of us who "don't take it seriously" we have the inclination to be like "why were you so afraid? why can't you just move on, move forward. It wasn't that bad" So we both have these tendencies on our side. What you have is one side saying "I'm smarter than you" and the other side saying "I'm stronger than you" because the people who are worried are saying "I'm smart enough to understand the concern." And the other side saying "i'm strong enough to handle the situation" thus inferring "You're too weak to be like me" and "you're too dumb to be like me"

We then jump into some conversation about working at sea and how mariners take weather pretty seriously because of the hazard. But this leads us to create a checklist, because you are gonna perform to the level you practice. There's some pros/cons to checklists too.

Lastly, we dive into the reactions of people after a storm. Tune in to hear the rest.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Hatchet by Gary Paulson

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

---none---

Other Mention(s):

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias bit about people in KS being in tornado alley.

Comedian Sam Kinison bit on world hunger

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nuancedbeauty/support

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

Do you believe in "The One" or finding a soul mate when it comes to relationships. Bill and I share our take on this concept. We both fall on the side of there being many fish in the sea (nuanced you might say?), BUT we get to choose everyday to be committed to this marriage. As Christians, we are in a Covenantal relationship, a promise, between Bill, myself, and God. We also share the downside of second guessing if you married the right person when you believe that there is just one soul mate out there for you, but then find yourself attracted to someone else after you are married. Then there's the vast access to everyone on social media that allows us to consider SO MANY possible partners to connect with. Perhaps overwhelming us and making us less happy in the end because of the endless selection (enjoy our story about Jam selection in a grocery store). We explore arranged marriages and how our individualistic culture may hold a negative view of a communal culture, but perhaps where our perspectives differ at the core. We explore the negative effects of divorce, and how just the past 50 years has seen a large uptick in divorces because of the "no fault" divorce clause. Further thoughts on throwing out marriage altogether given the stats of divorce.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

Digital Social Hour by SeanMikeKelly interviewing Natasha Graziano and her belief in multiple soul mates

Other Mention(s):

Jim Gaffigan - funny bit on Catholics having a lot of kids vs. enjoying a lot of sex

The Graduate - movie scene Bill describes (and their names were Ben and Elaine!)

The Free Press - recent TGIF article

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I chatted with an old work colleague of mine who is training for ultra marathons. He shares how he found himself getting interested in running in 2020, after wanting to slim down to do better at Jiu Jitzu. He signed up for a few races and got to training, completing a couple half marathons, and then a marathon, and now he's set his goals on a couple ultra marathon races ahead. He shares the high of finishing his first marathon, and the low of not finishing an ultra. We discuss "who" is a runner, and as you might guess a runner isn't just the person training for the olympics. There's a lot of mental endurance that comes into play and the willpower to push your body into intense physical situations. We discuss future race aspirations, some alternative recovery suggestions, and how he races on the cheap (because it can get real pricey real quick in just replacing running shoes alone).

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All right guys, in this quick episode, we discuss the trope of men being on time, and women are always late. What’s beneath the surface of this tension? Tune in to find out.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE "Adulting" can be a funny way of sharing the insecurities of folks in their 20s and 30s who are unsure if they have it all together or not. It can also be a reflective or momentous "write this down moment" of the first time you did something, like paying a bill, buying a house or car, etc. It'a lighthearted term to release the built up energy of I don't know if I'm doing this right? But why do we need the term to begin with??? Could it be that schools forgot to teach us how to budget and pay bills, or that the gender stereotypes around Home Economics made the class all about cooking and baby raising so people laughed it off and didn't pay much attention? Could it be that these "Adulting" moments are actually not as hard as they seem, for example Bills literally come to you, and if you don't pay them, bill collectors will find you and get you to pay. Or perhaps parents could spend a little more time bringing their kids alongside paying the bills, buying houses and cars, and budgeting money philosophies. Or even further, have we as adults set up this strange persona as if to be an adult means you have "arrived" and you will have all your stuff together? Perhaps our culture is too caught up in accomplishing the next milestone and certifications to announce to everyone else that we've achieved "It" and give off an air of perfection or like everything is easy. ... all this and more!

BOOK RECOMMENDATION Curious You on Your Way by H. A. Rey

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode: none today

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty! INTERVIEW EPISODE : We sat down with a college friend of ours, Ben, and discuss all things, military history and strategy. What started this interest of his and how it overlaps with his Navy, reserve, work, and JPME (Joint Professional Military Education) coursework. We discussed how history being written today, with easy access to information and a smart phone camera in everyone’s pocket, may look very different than years ago, when history was just written by the Victor. He also shares some thoughts on General MacArthur, the Ukrainian invasion, and we wrap up discussing honor and loyalty/trust to serve in the United States military, given recent strategic decisions that aren’t as transparent or clear-cut. BOOKS RECOMMENDED : The Winds of War by Herman Wouk / War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk / Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson. Enjoy the convo!

Find us on Instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

I heard this question recently and it caused me to pause. What have you changed your mind on recently? I took a minute to reflect and realize that I'm totally leaving space to change my mind. In the spirit of nuance (which I discuss way back in episode one as being able to take a stance of curiosity, humility, submission, and the possibility that you could be wrong) this is a solid question to take an account on where you're at. We discuss how much our parenting opinions have shifted after having kids. And we discuss just how different Bill and I stand on this question. For him, the struggle in this question is that he doesn't hold firmly to ANYthing. I mean, he does have some convictions, BUT they are few and far between. So we discussed the need to have not just be a waved tossed on the sea, wandering without beliefs and purpose. There is definitely value in holding some beliefs firmly and in high regard. But for others, like myself, there is value in not holding so strongly EVERY thought that pops into my head. Being aware of both bents is valuable.

Next, we dive into the biggest example I have recently changed my mind on, or rather greatly softened my opinion on, which involves women teaching/preaching/leading in the church. We give a little background for those who aren't a Christian, or for those who haven't explored this topic deeper. There are Christians who would fall into the categories of Egalitarian or Complimentarian. There's plenty more details onto how these two thoughts differ, and I would challenge everyone to not assume one side is right and the other is wrong or has no clue what they are talking about. Many a people have put a lot of thought and study into both ideas. Today's summary barely scratches the surface. But I provide some practical context for how my experiences have shaped my opinion on this non-salvitic topic and we share how this belief has impacted and played out in our marriage.

Lastly, would you be interested in "Nuanced Christian" episodes? We are tossing around the idea of a separate podcast OR additional episodes specifically exploring questions that aren't directly answered in the bible. Our heart here would be to examine and discern how we can conclude one way or another based on our motivations and and where the Bible may have something to say about any given topic when we look at some of the fundamentals (fruits of the spirit, the greatest commandment, etc.) Let us know!!

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

No More Holding Back: Emboldening Women to Move Past Barriers, See Their Worth, and Serve God Everywhere by Kat Armstrong

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

None today

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE We interrupt our usual broadcasting of all things nuanced to share something integral to both Bill and I: we attended the US Merchant Marine Academy ("Kings Point / KP"). It's one of the five federal service academies, where students can go to attend college, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree and commissioning as an Officer to serve in our military. We give a high level summary of each school, which Department funds them, where they're located, and how many students per graduating year. Then we unpack our stories of getting accepted at the Academy. Because they are federally funded, the appointment process looks like both getting accepted to the academy AND getting a nomination from your Senator(s) or congressional representative. Lastly, we share a little about life at a military academy vs. attending a regular college. As mentioned, we hope these details may help someone out there, share it with your fave high schooler trying to think about their future and reach out if you'd like to have a conversation or seeking further guidance.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION none this week

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode: none this week

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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This quick episode is brought to you by a recent tipping situation that went viral. A pizza delivery dude received a $5 tip and commented about the size of to tip, considering the nice home. Should we HAVE TO tip for a person to make enough money in these service jobs? Tipping is now pouring over into so many other transaction thanks to the cube, and should it be necessary? Can we have empathy for this delivery dude who is probably working a second job in hopes of catching up in his finances and might be stepping away from his family to do so. Meanwhile, he’s wondering if this job is worth it if he doesn’t get the big enough tips. Hope you enjoy this quick coffee (tea) chat.

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christina-szigat/support

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I sat down with my dear friend, Daemey, and we talked all things Hair. Daemey has been doing hair for many years and shares her experiences from beauty School with Hair Cuttery, to an AVEDA Salon, to booth rent, to doing hair from home these days. She shares that cool part about doing hair for her is definitely her clients, getting the regular 1:1 time with them to chat about life, and how physically touching someone to do their hair creates a deeper connection (perhaps like a doctor, people don't get to just touch you! lol)

In the heart of nuance, I asked Daemey how she manages expectations when a client brings in a celebrity photo and asks to walk out looking like that. She shared her wisdom in years of delicately discerning how to educate clients and speak into the level of time, money, and maintenance that may be required to have a particular look, helping them commit to a plan and possible products to assist, OR helping them decide on a different style. And she mentions that perhaps the celeb photo (cough cough* Kardashians) have spent many trips checking into a salon to get that look, or perhaps have extensions in to achieve the look.

We also discuss store-bought hair dyes and the risk of over-processing, hair turning orange, or even falling out. Further tidbits here on color theory with varying texture/follicle/pigments for individuals, as well as color differences at the roots and ends.

Lastly, she shares some advice for fellow hairstylists out there that may want to branch beyond their current salon and rent a boot or work from home.

Enjoy the convo!

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Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We dive into a more controversial cultural topic of today: the Supreme Court case ruling on Affirmative action. Specifically, what got us reflecting on our thoughts on the matter was listening to another GREAT podcast called Honestly, where Bari Weiss brought on a group of 3 legal professionals to answer some questions and give their thoughts on the ruling. We point out some takeaways we enjoyed while expanding on our thoughts as well. Can law and government drive morality? What's the meaning of Diversity? And how do we measure it? Could income brackets provide a different avenue for achieving diversity than race? Will this ruling cause college admissions to become more ambiguous and hidden? All thoughts we explore today.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

Honestly with Bari Weiss

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE Recently a popular country song from 2010 called If I Die Young by the Band Perry got a remake into part 2. Bill heard the remake that takes a twist on the first release, which is focused on the romanticization of dying at a young age, and in part 2, she shares a sense of gratitude that she didn’t die young, sharing the joy of love and having a daughter, and a sense of maturity in the line “now I know that there’s never enough time.” It’s a beautiful song that led us to a conversation of how we have viewed death, popular thoughts on death in culture, and where our perspective has changed over time. We also take a moment to discuss this idea of orientation to time that’s taught by some enneagram instructors, where essentially some folks tend to “live” today with a lense focused on the past, some in the present, and some in the future. We’ve reflected on this concept ourselves and have found that Bill tends to look back and I tend to look ahead. We mentioned wills and trusts, and how our parents and our kids may have processed death from a couple quick stories. BOOK RECOMMENDATION None this week

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode: About orientation to time, go search through older episodes of The Enneagram Journey.

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE Today I (Christina) sat down with Caia, the owner of Root to Rise yoga studio in St Johns, FL, and we talked all about Yoga. Caia shares about her days first beginning yoga some time ago to opening her own studio back in August of 2020. In the spirit of nuance, I share when I started yoga and how if you had asked me BEFORE I began practicing yoga, who did yoga, I would have envisioned a slender, target-shopping, athleisure-wearing mom OR a super fit college girl doing poses on the edge of a cliff. Now, I'm sure I'm not the only person who's made these assumptions. Caia shares her thoughts and we specifically dig into helping everyone come to a class to get comfortable on their mat, and in their body, doing their practice. I also ask about the person who's too anxious to attend in person, or the at-home yogi, how would you encourage them to find a community to practice with. Caia digs into a great life lesson of doing things that are uncomfortable in order to grow and experience, and whether you get that from yoga practice, or elsewhere, digging into the tension in order to find something beautiful is a challenge worth pursuing. Hope you enjoy the episode!

Find us on Instagram: @nuanced_beauty Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I (Christina) sat down with our Seattle Realtor, Michelle, who helped us sell our last home. This episode dives into the varied priorities of homebuyers. We discussed the initial priorities like number of rooms and beds, but then consider how hobbies and yard maintenance and disabilities or a growing family may all be valuable considerations. Many more great nuggets of info as we chat about condos and 'non-traditional' route to homebuying with a condo as first purchase. Michelle also shares her concerns with many first time homebuyers feeling quite discouraged about affordability and throwing in the towel, but tries to gently encourage the listeners to see the potential and stability and longterm confidence that comes with a home.

I asked Michelle about questions to consider asking a realtor and we discussed asking how many transactions a realtor closed in last year, and where, and if they were cross trained in buying and selling homes. Additionally she made a great point about spending a good hour with a realtor and paying attention to your gut and how the communication flowed. If it didn't flow well or there seemed to be some trust gaps, don't overlook your instincts because the whole homebuying experience may be similar.

Many other great considerations discussed in this episode, so tune in. And if you'd enjoy more nuance about homebuying, go checkout our prior episode on when and where to buy a home.

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This quick episode is brought to you with our wireless mics and phone. Let us know if you enjoy the coffee chat and maybe we’ll sprinkle these in between our regularly programmed Thursday episodes. We discussed a Father’s Day article released by the Free Press this weekend and the idea of Stoicism. We also mentioned a couple books: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Boys and Men by Richard V. Reeves, and The Hell with the Hustle, and a website called The Art of Manliness. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY all you dads out there listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

Freshly home from our trip to NY, we thought we'd chat through our thoughts on traveling with young kids. The beauty is that we got to take our boys to our Alma Mater and our boys bonded while sleeping in the same bedroom. Then the nuance honestly feels like it's in everything else. Trying to manage the logistics of getting kids from place to place in an unfamiliar setting, and getting them to eat and sleep when their routine has been disrupted. This is where we'd LOVE to have someone chat with us as an encouragement and perhaps a rebuttal. We have friends who have loved going on trips with their kids, and perhaps it's the perspective shift that we're missing here. Perhaps we don't have the patience and grace because our why, our purpose, for taking a trip isn't firmly established to get us up the rocky cliff. Or maybe it really is hard for everyone and they're saving appearances or using strong discretion to not over share or burden others with the heartaches. We're not sure! So that is that! Hope you enjoy our reflections today and if you'd like to be a guest to dive into why and how to travel well with kids, please reach out, I'd love to sit down with you for an interview.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

--none today--

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

--none today--

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

Consider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach listeners, and/or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We talked all about pets in this episode, and in particular you might say our goal was to talk ourselves out of being judgmental toward people with "Fur Babies." We both grew up with pets and had cats until very recently. I (Christina) definitely shared in some lighthearted banter pre-kids about how similar pets are to having kids... but in all reality, they're different. Elevating the importance of pets to people gets a little squishy. The grief of losing a loved one and a pet looks different. The mental engagement/connection and need to be present looks different. This was genuinely an exploration of the role pets play in our lives and how they differ from parenting.

We then wrap up our final thoughts by exploring the risk aversions of the younger generation. With screens being the main medium of connecting, there seems to be a strong aversion to in-person relationships, perhaps because they're hard and not entirely controllable. Pets are a welcoming fulfillment to relational desire without some of the messiness of parenting, or getting involved with people in your community.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

--none today--

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

INTERVIEW EPISODE

Today I (Christina) reconnect with a classmate from college who recently did her FIRST-EVER stand-up comedy set and LOVED it.

Now, I'm not a funny person and I frequently don't get jokes. I tend to travel the literal path of life, so humor takes me a hot minute to connect with, but many people connect and resonate with comedy! It makes them tick and they're naturally inclined to love it.

Alyssa makes an insightful point to the importance of humor by drawing out a connection to thermodynamics and a Boggart (think Harry Potter).

We then dive into her own journey of what led her to do this stand-up show. We go over a few interesting tidbits about what makes a joke, and also consider the art of connecting with the audience and being acutely aware of your timing.

If you happen to be in the Dallas area, she's already scheduled her next open mic on June 2nd, and another one on July 1st! Go see her and everyone else at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We share what got us in to gardening, or rather who got us started and how the craft took off from there.

We share some of our lessons learned and the hyper individualized (nuanced ;) ) circumstances that need to be taken into consideration as you grow. Many growing stories with trial and error and adjusting expectations, and adapting to FL weather growing versus PNW!

If you want to work on grounding, go cultivate the ground! Legit, gardening is this patient and gradual practice of paying attention to something.

Lastly, I've found an appreciation for eating the food that we've grown. As someone who's struggled with bad eating habits and over-indulgence or obsessive control without a mindful appreciation for what food ACTUALLY is, and how it's cultivated, has stretched my capacity to appreciate what I'm eating sometimes. And I think this awareness holds power to breaking mindless habits.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy-Harvest Fruit Trees by Ann Ralph

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

--none today--

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We recorded this episode on Mother's Day afternoon. In the heart of nuance, we thought it'd be a worthy episode to take a minute to discuss the many moms and children out there struggling to celebrate this day because the motherhood relationship is a touchy one, or not quite what we had hoped and expected it to be. Whether adoption, miscarriage, divorce and blended families, death, or abortion are a part of the story, all of these reasons can make today a somber or bitter sweet one.

Meanwhile, can we laugh with those who laugh, and mourn with those who mourn? I genuinely think in the space of nuance we can connect with one another over hard things that don't quite meet the neat and perfect checklist of life.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Complicated Heart: Loving Even When It Hurts by Sarah Mae

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

--none today--

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

TODAY'S EPISODE

We recorded this episode a couple weeks ago and I went back and forth on if and when to publish it. It's an entertaining topic that catches my eye, but I think we, Bill and I, tend to see this one pretty similarly. We are not a fan of these catch phrases: "If momma ain't happy, no one is happy" or "Happy wife. Happy life."

I am sure they are often said in a gentle chiding manner, and meant to make light of life's challenges, but the messaging here doesn't support unity in a household. While said in humor, I think there's a deeper expectation in a household for the wife to do everything, and the husband to be perceived as incompetent. Bill shares many sitcom examples where this has humorously played out and set the stage for what we think a home is supposed to look like.

Then for me, I think as the wife and mom, I would rather someone challenge me to do better and not be so proud of everything I'm doing at the expense of others around me in the house. Because when the stress elevates, the household definitely feels my stress. And I don't want to find myself in a rut of thinking everything rests on my shoulders and I can do it all myself. I don't think this is true or wise and it's in the subtle messaging that we wear down our marriage and home.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

--none today--

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

Send us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

This episode is all about how much we want to be in the know versus how much we can handle knowing in the dawn of the 24 hour news cycle. We also consider local news versus national news and the good intent of being an informed citizen. But then we also consider the sensational language and buzzwords to elicit fear/anger/concern so you will click on their article and read it. Furthermore, we can't ignore the large political slant among all the major news outlets. There's an interesting shift of people choosing to get their news outside of the mainstream news outlets.

We share some stories about the days when we were away at sea and what news was like aboard our ships, circa 08/09 into the early 2010s...

Also, how much attention to the news is enough (an hour a day, 2, 3, 5)?

Lastly, we give you guys several recommendations for alternative news outlets and interviews that we think are doing some solid work.

-The Free Press: Bari Weiss launched a substack subscription called Common Sense with Bari Weiss, which has now expanded into The Free Press. We have paid a $5/mo subscription for the past year or two to read her content and are excited that she's expanded! She received enough followers that she's launched their news outlet and hired on more employees.

-Matt Taibbi's substack

-Liberal Patriot substack

-Breaking Points with Krystal and Sagar: I'll say, had I found them via youtube channel first, I would never have tuned in! Their graphics and titles are very click bate-y, BUT I found them via podcast format first! And have been tuning in M-W-F

-Morning Wire: My two cents is you can look anywhere to get a liberal leaning slant, so if you do happen to lean left, this would be a good opportunity for you to get just a 15 minute dose of what the right is concerned about. They do a nice job of not being too verbose or emotional (think NPR pre-Trump presidency), but if you listen to it for quite some time, you will notice a common thread of the top concerns for conservatives (economy spending and jobs, crime in cities, and education struggles).

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

Breaking Points

Morning Wire

Book Recommendation:

Hate Inc. by Matt Taibbi

(not Manufactured Consent by Noam Chomsky, editors note, it was released in 1988)

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

In an earlier episode we asked "How do you Eat?" But in today's episode we draw out some thoughts on "How do your Kids Eat?"

We've made changes to our foods, but we explore the challenges of bringing our kids along this journey too. Ultimately, we've swapped out a lot of foods in our pantry and fridge for higher quality options. To the point where Zeke's friend was confused when looking in our pantry :) I don't think she recognized a thing. That said, we have our snack, boxed foods, we've just swapped them and you probably won't see an advertisement on TV for these items.

We mention a story of Zeke and Apple Juice nonstop as a toddler. We dig into if eating healthier is expensive. We ask if we've placed a moral good/bad on food options, and put unintended stress from the dualistic thinking about foods, while also acknowledging there are healthier options and it's a choice. We share the current thorn in our side being everyone eating the same food for dinner, because currently our kids frequently have a different meal than us. Many, many more tangants and thoughts on this, so tune in!

Podcast Mention in this episode: Real Foodology

Book Recommendation:

Deep Nutrition - Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food by Catherine Shanahan, M.D.

Find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Bill draws some interesting parallels between student loans of today and indentured servitude from his listening to the History of Rome podcast. The opinions being that "this debt is far too great to pay off, the math doesn't work" on one side, while the other side was saying "you signed up for it."

We share our experience and how we don't entirely relate to the typical college loan debt because we went to a Federal Service Academy. But we did take out Career starter loans before graduating that needed to be paid off in 5 years. So we had a hefty monthly payment, and we can potentially see how this debt kept us from buying a home.

We have a challenge for each side in this argument, on the one hand to pause and have compassion and see the magnitude of the problem, and for the other to not sit and wait for their debts to be forgiven. Debt weighs heavy, beyond just the monetary value.

We further discuss what makes up a college and the admin costs, and college amenities to create a lifestyle to attract students. And The social pressure to go to college, though I have hope that technical programs, certifications, and work experience are gaining traction for hiring practices, and I'm glad that with the saturation of 4yr degrees out there, we haven't simply upped the college norm to 6-8years. And perhaps the most practical point from our episode that Bill makes is perhaps a way forward is to allow student loans to be claimed in Bankruptcy.

Podcast Mention(s) in this episode:

The History of Rome

Borrowed Future (I couldn't think of the title of this one!)

Book Recommendation:

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

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What do you think of Work-Life Balance? A friend recently shared a work event she attended and they discussed the concept of work life balance and asserted that it may be better to consider how work and life are integrated. This either/or sort of mentality can be compartmentalizing things, and that rigid separation of work and life may not be so great. That said, people in coaching/ministry/health have the lines blurred. Later on we also discuss Bill's 24/7 job which blurs these lines as well.

I, Christina, wonder if the root of the idea came out of guilt. Because in the midst of working hard to have it all, people felt bad as if something were missing, so the idea of work-life balance, would allow someone to shift their outlook and not feel so bad for overly committing to one area, or possibly give them a reason to change that. Bill brings up how HR and Companies have used the work-life balance to be the reason why people want to work for them.

We talk about the influence of unions to create the 8hr work day, 8hr leisure, 8hr sleep. We talk about how the fem movements have impacted the desire/ and/or pressure to work and be really successful at work and home. We also discuss the potential equal and opposite pull for the genders here, where the women are being called to do it all in work and life, AND the men are being called to do it all as well, but with the emphasis being to get more involved in the home/family side of things.

We also share where we may flip the gender norms with the work desires. I, Christina, was highly driven to be successful in a career in my early twenties, and I talked about work EVERY night for entirely too much time. But then Bill would love to do as little as possible at work, bake bread, garden, and homeschool the kids. Tell us what you think about the concept of work-life balance. And do you feel a desire or pull toward one area over the other?

Book Recommendation:

Going There by Katie Couric

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Today's episode is a long-winded question for you, the listener: How do you handle screen time with your kids?

We share our journey with just two littles from 0 to 6yo. We share how the time limit boundary seemed ok for a season, but then backfired with emotional challenges and a fixation on screen time. We modified our approach, and we're STILL figuring it out.

We also share some thoughts on how screen time for our younger days felt more contained, as in not connected to the internet with hyper-individualized content to keep our attention for as long as possible.

Lastly, we consider what we are doing versus what we are saying. What are we modeling to our kids as we parent them?

We'd love to hear your successes or failures in this realm too. So hit us up on our instagram after listening.

Book Recommendation:

The Tech Wise Family - Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

In today's episode I ask the question: What's your posture? By posture, I'm not necessarily referring to the tangible body positioning of a person like slouched shoulders and gaze down, or an upright posture with direct eye contact, but moreso the energy or demeanor you bring into a relationship. Do you walk into that friendship seeking advice and counsel, or do you walk in expecting to lead and guide the conversations? And can you shift your posture in a relationship?

Bill illustrates a friendship where he felt like he intentionally shifted his posture from the one mostly leading for a season when it felt needed given the situation, to the one being vulnerable and sharing where he was struggling and needing advice or just a place to vent. And I share a story of a rocky friendship where I can see that we may have both failed in this dance, and we both clung to a confident and competent posture at the expense of connection. I hope you appreciate the Marine Engineering lesson on "droop" and how nicely it illustrates this battle of power dynamics.

From there we dive into age, and a rut we might get in where we think our age alone defines our posture of leader or follower. When yes, there's wisdom and experience through our age, but it's not only defining characteristic of a relationship, and being to rigid on this may erode the relationship eventually.

Lastly, we dive into the parent-child relationship that we recently read about in today's book receommendation. In particular, a parent can benefit by shifting their stance or posture toward their child as they grow. From the disciplinary start, to elementary-aged teaching, to pre-teen and high school coaching, and finally the adult-aged friendship. Raise your kid with the intent that one day they'll be a cool adult, and you'll want to be their friend. Because your child will be an adult for many years longer than they were a child under your roof.

Book Recommendation:

Parenting - Getting it Right - by Andy and Sandra Stanley

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

In today's episode we explore the nuance of Trigger Warnings. Are they helpful? Or do they cause someone to become triggered? Are opponents of trigger warnings the most triggered of all? Or are the real trigger warnings the friends we make along the way?

We discuss William Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus which includes a lot of gore a brutal rape scene. We discuss the probable origin of this phrase in today's culture, and how I think trigger warnings sound very similar to Movie Ratings. Then we give a brief story about a recent college professor attempting to be compassionate by providing her students with a trigger warning, yet still being suspended for a time when a student was triggered/offended by the event.

Dear Listener, what are your thoughts about trigger warnings, and how has it evolved over time?

Book Recommendation:

Surprised by the Healer by Linda Dillow and Dr. Juli Slattery

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In today's episode we discuss the holiday "observances/appreciation" months that are on our calendar. Does the government or culture pave the way for what is a holiday? And what is ours to do on said holidays?

This episode comes at the heels of me, Christina, noticing all of the monthly appreciation/observances holidays highlighted in my google calendar, and then observing International Women's Day last week. ...This doesn't even touch on where Valentine's Day came about and Pie Day or Donut Day and all the other marketing-type appreciation days...

I sense this tension of "how am I supposed to acknowledge this holiday?" And "is there anything that I can ACTUALLY do on this one day or month that makes a difference or matters?"

Book Recommendation:

Presidents Day Anyone? Go ahead and checkout this historical account of Johns Adams.

John Adams by David McCullough

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

At the heels of a church service we recently attended called "Pause." and the announcement that Aaron Rogers just completed a 4-day darkness retreat in a cave in OR, the topic of meditation has been on both of our minds.

We explore the tension of meditation in Non-Denomination/Protestant Christian circles because of religions like Hindu/Buddhist/New-Age Spirituality that practice meditation through a different perspective or with a different priority in mind. But we can see many examples throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that share people being called to meditate on the Lord and renew the mind. We share an appreciation for how Catholicism has perhaps been more in tune with spiritual disciplines, including meditation. Then there's even a component of meditation for physical health improvements like getting to sleep and lessening anxiety and helping lower blood pressure. Ultimately, we want to acknowledge the worldview/core beliefs/values, and what exactly is the point of meditating can look very different to different people. We think there's a component of awareness to the mind, body, and soul, and the practice of being present through meditation can be very valuable for many reasons.

Book RecommendationS:

Heir to the Crown: A Mind-Body Devotional for the Daughters of God by Alisa Keeton

Be Here Now by Ram Dass

Journey of Awakening: A Meditator's Guidebook by Ram Dass

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!WHEN do I buy a home? We discuss our several years of wanting to buy but feeling like we were JUST behind the market in being able to afford a home in Seattle. We also felt like everything was too expensive, coming from the midwest, and I was seriously waiting for the prices to drop because of the market crash back in 2008. So I took some comfort in wrapping my mind around the fact that we rented some wonderful apartments, right where we wanted to be, they served our needs very well, and we didn't have to pay for maintenance. We watched the costs continue to rise, and we finally made the plunge right before we welcomed our firstborn. It was either buy a home or rent somewhere else because our townhome layout and the luxury finishes were not going to cut having a baby in it. We also wrestled through the financial advice pressures on optimal down payments and type of loan to get, and we ultimately share some decisions we made that could be considered not the smartest, but from our perspective and purposes, it made sense, and we carried on.Next we dive into WHERE to buy a home. We explore how much schools can play into the decision. We also chat about not having the nicest home on the block, but how that didn't really help us within the Seattle neighborhoods, because there isn't a clear sense of zoning. It is very neighborhood-centric, but there could be a crumby abandoned house next to a million dollar new-build. In summary, when it comes to when and where to buy a home, there's plenty of advice from the experts that is typically focused on how to optimize home-buying for financial returns. Listen in to that advice, weigh out your thoughts and needs, and then make a decision.Happy shopping if you just so happen to be in the home-buying market at this very moment.Book Recommendation:The Two Income Trap - Why middle class parents are (still) going broke - by Elizabeth WarrenFind us on instagram: @nuanced_beautySend us an email: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.comConsider following the show, give us a rating and review to help the podcast reach more listeners, or share it with a friend! Thanks for listening.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/christina-szigat/support

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Today's discussion may feel like a no brainer to some, but maybe not to others? We wanted to explore this question: Why do we have kids? Because on one hand, we feel like no one ever asks people AFTER they have kids why they had kids to begin with. But people who don't have kids, or don't want to have kids at all, or don't have kids yet, or who have struggled with infertility, may get asked the question "When are you going to start a family?" or "Why don't you want to have kids?"

For us, neither of us felt a strong heart-pull to start a family, but we both discussed having two kids before we got married. It was a somewhat boring conversation as we recall it! We also note how the financial pressures and career ambitions can muddy the waters of family planning. We do think that a committed and stable couple provides the best setting for children to grow up, but acknowledge the reality of life being hard and single parents being absolute rock stars in doing the best they can for their children. Then, we know other families that absolutely could not wait to have a family, and they wanted to have a big family so their children would have lots of siblings to lean on growing up and in life.

Lastly, we share some thoughts about the NW and SE cultures around families that we've observed. We do feel like we see kids out in public more often here in FL, and there's a noticeable affection shown toward families with young children. Kids are out roaming the neighborhoods and there are many, many families with 2+ kids all over the place. To contrast, we note a few different interactions in the NW, where I don't recall seeing kids in public as often (think grocery store or restaurants), or kids roaming their neighborhoods without parents. There's a greater sense of pretending you don't notice a family with children when in public. The Double Income No Kid (DINKs) family model is more common and it'd be a social taboo to ask someone when they're going to have kids, or even if they want to have kids unless you know them pretty well.

Book Recommendation:

Glory in the Ordinary - Why Your Work in the Home Matters to God - by Courtney Reissig

I read this book early on after I had my first son, and I was encouraged by considering how we go to this point of not appreciating the tasks that we need to get done in our homes. The history of moving work outside the home, yet our homes still require our TLC. While this book is written for a Christian female audience, I did catch myself sharing some snippets with my husband because she did a nice job talking about the history of the changes, and in reality, how each family divides the mundane tasks of the home can look different, so I think we could ALL use a perspective shift at times here.

Thanks for listening!

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Today's discussion is a lighter one as we explore the making of coffee snobs. We confess, our horizons were broadened when we moved to Seattle and we passionately enjoyed the lifeline that coffee provided as we managed to thrive/survive in the dreary, dark overcast winters. Coffee shops are the place to work and forge friendships, play a board game, and sit and read.

Fast forward to life in the SE, and we realize that the love of coffee might be parallel to the love of sweet tea here. We know aplenty about coffee but nothing about sweet tea. So, when you know very little about a topic, can you get curious and learn more? Or would you rather check out? Lean in and enjoy our stories of how to take your coffee, coffee at sea, and more.

Shout out to many great coffee shops in the NW: Port Side Espresso, Uptown Espresso, Better Living through coffee, (no longer) Tully's, Kitty Cafe?, and Olympia Coffee. And of course Starbucks (the reserve in Capital Hill is amazing)... to name a few.

Here in JAX, we've found: Bold Bean Espresso, and Pour Mike's Coffee. Honorable mentions to Ellianos and Kookaburra.

Book Recommendation:

Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade

Thanks for listening!

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Today's discussion explored the nuance in the Q: Are we living for today or for our future retirement?

BUT FIRST, we spend a couple minutes talking about Hello Fresh, as we circle back to our topic of hanging loosely to cooking expectations and what makes sense. No, we don't have an ad for them, but we decided to give this meal plan a try for some time as we will both be back at work here soon. It allows us to continue to value cooking our meals at home while outsourcing some of the planning, and allowing either of us to make dinner without having a conversation about what is planned for dinner.

ONTO TODAY'S TOPIC, this is one that Bill feels more passionate about. We're working through a book study and the idea of investing for retirement came up. It IS totally a responsible idea to save for your future, in case someone is unable to work, but we think this idea that life will be glorious once I'm retired is a relatively newer concept wrapped neatly in the milestone progressions of that American Life. Again, it's not bad to plan, but is it becoming a consuming focal point that is preventing you from enjoying your life today? Additionally, I think us millennials have felt the burden of college debt and multiple financial crisis/bubbles that have shook this retirement dream, making us a little more cynical about propping it up so highly. Lastly, Bill and I note the differences in how our parents messaged retirement, or didn't message it at all, and how are we going to tackle the retirement concept with our children.

Book Recommendation:

Billionaire Wilderness - The Ultra-Wealthy and the remaking of the American West by Justin Farrell.

Thanks for listening!

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Today's discussion explored the nuance in the question: Do you have to be best friends with your significant other/spouse?

We'd say it's awesome if you feel like you are best friends with your spouse, but it's definitely not a requirement. Your spouse can't fulfill every need in your life for connection, and there may be times when you feel like your meshing great (think early dating days), and then times when you're under a lot of life stressors and not jiving so seemlessly. We further discuss the exclusivity of the "Best" friend title, but also the reality that we have limited time in life and have to choose how we spend it, which means we will have a varying degrees of friendships... perhaps calling some friends the top tier isn't the best terminology, but that's what came to mind, while others are simply friendly acquaintances in the neighborhood. Create some space for friendships to morph, and take the pressure off of your spouse for meeting all of these desires for connection.

Book Recommendation:

Boundaries - When to say yes and how to say no to take control of your life - by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Thanks for listening!

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

Co-host announcement to start off the episode!

Today's discussion explored the following ideas around cooking and eating:

-Are you always going to be a good or a bad cook?

-What makes a meal a meal?

-How do you divide the task of cooking in your house?

We weave in our own cooking stories throughout and end with this simple point of advice that we learned from someone else: Plan your Hot Dogs.

Book Recommendation:

The Pegan Diet by Mark Hyman, MD - 21 Practical Principles for Reclaiming your Health in a Nutritionally Confusing World Thanks for listening!

Please rate and review the podcast to help me reach more listeners, share it with a friend, or send me an email with your feedback: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com You can also find us on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

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Welcome Back!Bill returns again this we to circle back to the very top and answer WHAT is nuance in the first place. From the dictionary definition of the word and it meaning a shade of grey, to the conversational interpretation of how this word is gaining traction today as a way of holding more loosely to some of the things we think SO THAT we can engage in respectful and meaningful conversations and relationships. We also dive into the WHY? Our internal reaction to what someone else thinks and says matters, and the polarizing state of our culture today could use a little more nuance in day to day topics. This doesn’t mean folding like a deck of cards to core beliefs, but engaging well in conversations and perhaps even refining the beliefs that matter most to you. This conversation was lengthier so I skipped on a book recommendation this week! Happy Listening and truly appreciate you. Give us feedback at NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com, or like and share it with a friend.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/christina-szigat/support

Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

I'm grateful to have my husband on as the very first guest on my podcast. Bill and I dive into the topic of hospitality and why we care about this one so much, we share a terrible dinner party many years ago, and some snippets of our other hosting events. You'll catch some to-do's and logistics peppered throughout but ultimately there is a lot of room for you to run with hosting however you can. The ultimate goal is connection and vulnerability, so don't lose sight of that, and keep opening your door if things don't go quite as planned.

Book Recommendation

People Fuel by Dr. John Townsend

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Welcome to Nuanced Beauty!

Consider this episode a new years reflection of what I've learned and what I'd like to improve.

-20 minutes of talking can be a LOT

-I now get why many podcasters co-host and interview - it's easier to be conversational!

-Time Utilization is nuanced. I'm reading less and sometimes have great thoughts come to me at inopportune times. So I write them down but then lose the passion behind my thought by time i get to it for podcasting.

-The dance with social media is totally nuanced. Here I am, over 2 years removed and trying to dabble with it again. Me, getting nuanced with a thing, sound like a familiar concept? I'm enjoying seeing updates of friends far away and who I'm not close with these days. But I also appreciate the intimacy I've found face to face with folks. But I also appreciate the good of connecting online. soooo nuanced. I'd like to grow my instagram @nuanced_beauty so that it is separate from my personal account. I've got plenty of friends who want absolutely nothing to do with listening to podcasts and I don't want to be that annoying friend bashing it over their heads.

-I'd like to incorporate guests and interviews this year, since some of my fave moments getting into podcasts were listening to a conversation and feeling like I was a part of it.

-My definition of nuanced beauty has expanded. Initially, it felt like my focus would be on helping individuals find the beauty in others in relationships, but I've realized that there's plenty of room for us to realize our OWN reactions to nuance and concepts, and how it impacts our behaviors and how we move forward.

Cheers to 2023 ahead.

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

As we prepare for a new year, we all often take time to reflect on what was behind us, and set goals for what is ahead. Whether you avoid setting New Years Resolutions or rhythmically embrace them, it's noteworthy to consider how many people join a gym in January, often with the hopes of losing some weight.

When was the last time you weighed yourself? What has been your relationship to the scale?

I share my stories, from HS cheerleading, to getting into college at the US Merchant Marine Academy and needing to meet physical fitness standards, to post college needing to make fitness standards for the Navy Reserve. I then share my more recent events of having children and all of life's priorities.

I've had moments of totally obsessing and totally neglecting the scale, so how do we use the scale responsibly? I share my recent perspective shift and approach to try and get comfortable with the long term process and the reality that the number on the scale does not have to create my value and identity.

I'm going to lean in to enjoying the journey here and try to find that nuanced beauty we are talking about here.

Book Recommendation

The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to live to 100 by Dan Buettner

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Welcome back to Nuanced Beauty!

Today we ask the question: What do you Value?

Noticing the things we value most, and the things we value least, can help us see why it's so easy, OR so hard, to be around another person. There are many ways we could go about figuring out out values, but let's focus in on:

How we spend our money

and

How we spend our time

Consider the small and large purchases, and how we save or donate.

I dive into how our grocery budget has changed because we've learned a lot about functional medicine and how significantly food matters to our health. Our value has changed in this area and we view the expense as worth it.

I also spend some time discussing our expenses around our appearance, in particular how much we (the American culture) spend on make-up products. We value how we look, we want to be seen and viewed as beautiful.

Next we move into how we spend our time.

I breakdown our hours in a week, and how much time we have left to do what we'd like to do after we account for all the normal day to day tasks (44 hours).

When looking at our schedule, I notice that we value music and fitness. Lastly, I make note of how much time is spent on our phones, but with a positive acknowledgment to how our phones can provide connection and be a resource to help us in our day to day tasks.

In conclusion, we all have a limited amount of time and money, and we all have to decide what we'd like to value and how we will spend it. We don't often align perfectly with others, and sometimes, our values may be the exact opposite things, and that's ok.

Embrace the nuanced beauty in how your values are different.

And for the book recommendation

The Making of Us: Who we become when life doesn't go as planned, by Sheridan Voysey

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Welcome to Nuanced Beauty and this short thought to ponder.

How do you feel about sending Christmas Cards this year?
Is it something you enjoy and look forward to? Or does it feel like a burden on your busy to do list?

Lastly, how are reacting to receiving a card this year? Does it feel like a joy and blessing to receive an update from family or friends you love? OR does it leave you feeling regret for not sending cards, or a strong need to let them know they won't be receiving a card from you this year? By all means, make the connection and share if you wish to, but perhaps there is space to stop yourself before explaining this and simply receive the card with joy.

Thanks for listening! Please rate and review the podcast to help me reach more listeners, share it with a friend, or send me an email with your feedback: NuancedBeauty@yahoo.com You can also find me on instagram: @nuanced_beauty

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Welcome Back to Nuanced Beauty!

In today's episode we are asking: What's the Point of Personality Tests?

I begin with a story about feelings, or lack thereof, and then dive into the Enneagram.

The enneagram identifies nine different types in the world, numbers 1 through 9, and they can be categorized into the Triads, which are the gut, heart, and brain. You can learn about the Enneagram by reading a book (my preferred method so you can have more details in front of you AND learn about all the OTHER numbers while you are at it), or by taking an online test. I share a story about the core virtue and passion or sin of my number, the 8. And I did a fun exercise of summarizing each number with well-known advertisements out there. Enjoy.

Next up is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator test, and how the 4 categories of either/or can make up 16 different types of personalities.

There's a quick mention of the DISC test, birth order, horoscopes, and the five love languages, and the fact that I'm sure there are MANY other personality tests out there that I'm not mentioning.

Now for the NUANCE:

Big negatives for not doing personality testing: putting people in a box, and leaning into confirmation bias or justification which doesn't allow people to change or grow. They can be reductive and dismissive. And they are naval gazing, whether you have high self-esteem or low self-esteem, the problem could be that you are too focused on your SELF.

The Rebuttal: personality tests allow people to find a sense of belonging and understanding of the unsaid words they are thinking. They allow us to connect and relate to one another. If we were analyzing things from a scientific of psychological standpoint, it would be ignorant of us to ignore patterns. We all have patterns that make up our strengths and weaknesses, and noticing them allows us to thrive and flourish or make better choices to improve where we are weak.

Lastly, I challenge you to do some research and thinking on your own about it. I found one useful, and one not so useful. Ultimately, hold onto some skepticism that a personality test will not solve all your problems, but it may be a handy tool in your toolbelt.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION(s)

The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

and

The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile.

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Welcome to Nuanced Beauty.

Today we are looking at the question: What are some practical ways to get better at nuance?

I've found that books and podcasts have been a consistent influence in my life that have shaped my thoughts, stretched my curiosity, and changed me mostly for the better.

Why read a book? Consider this a gentle nudge to get you to WANT to go pick up a book if you haven't done so in a long time.

Yes, I'm suggesting you listen to a podcast... on a podcast. I'll share a little story on what got me into podcasts, and focus my point on us broadening our horizon to listen to a wider range of topics. I provide a decent list of the many topics worth exploring and the great podcasts I've listened to over the years.

The point is not to compare or measure up to some golden standard here. It's to have interesting, nuanced conversations with beautiful people. And these tools can be helpful to expand our own thoughts.

And for the Book Recommendation:

Farsighted: How we Make the Decisions That Matter the Most by Steven Johnson

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In today's episode, we are continuing to lay the groundwork in self-awareness by answering the question why do we do what we do.

Let's focus in on this simple thought: we will always do what makes sense to us, and what makes sense to us is based on OUR experience and knowledge. We can all explain why we proceeded down the course we took if we spend some time reflecting. Some of our reasoning may be very apparent to us, while less apparent to someone else.

Consider my example: How do you get a baby to sleep.

Book referenced: Precious Little Sleep by Alexis Dubief

Additionally, we've got to note how our confirmation bias plays a part, along with our ways of justifying, or supporting our decisions.

Consider this example: What did you think of COVID?

And for this week's Book Recommendation:

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/christina-szigat/support

Here’s three questions I’d like to pose to guide you into a nuanced conversation with your loved ones this holiday season.

They are:

•How do you do your Christmas tree?

•What holiday traditions have you held onto in your family?

AND

•Has something significant happened that will make this holiday season feel different?

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Harry Potter by JK Rowling, Illustrated versions by Jim Kay. Any of them :)

Happy Holidays!

Welcome to Nuanced Beauty.

Today we are looking at the question: How Do We get Comfortable in the Nuance?

Be Humble

Be Curious

Be Submissive

And for the Book Recommendation:

Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode-and into a Life of Connection and Joy by Aundi Kolber