This is my sixth annual Slave-Free Christmas Challenge, so it feels like the right time to change things up a bit. Every year I blog about my favorite companies that help and not hurt people in the world, and this year my annual blog post is leaping from the screen into your ears. Since apparently I podcast now, let's podcast the crap outta this thing. As always, I have some fabulous companies to which I want to introduce you, and I've invited my friend Courtney DeFeo, author of In This House We Will Giggle, on the podcast to talk about them. We discuss our favorite products to give, what we're most excited about, and how giving gifts can brighten the lives of more than just the people receiving them. Courtney also shares great ideas to light up the people around you and inspire a heart for giving and service in our kids during the Christmas season. Listen in, and lighten up! And if you're not into podcasts but want the bare bones info about some of my favorites, don't worry - I've included the info below so you can click and shop.
Hey welcome to episode 51 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. Today Sarah Bragg from Surviving Sarah Podcast is joining me to talk about All the Thankfulness. Sheesh, I love talking to this girl so dang much. We chat about things we're thankful for, favorite Thanksgiving food, and favorite Thanksgiving traditions. I try to describe giblet gravy -- what is giblet gravy, what in fact is a giblet -- and we discuss our extremely different views on the best way to spend Thanksgiving morning. Also, we play Thanksgiving word associations. Happy Thanksgiving, listen in, and lighten up!
"Giving thanks is active. It's something that you do. It's not always a feeling."
Definition of husbandry and Definition of giblet (This is clearly a very educational show.)
Carpool Karaoke with Bruno Mars
Women Are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends
Hey welcome to episode 50 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. 50! We've made it to 50, guys, and I'm so excited that for the 50th episode I get to share my conversation with Chewbacca Mom Candace Payne with you. We've all seen her viral Facebook video wearing the Chewbacca mask, and it's impossible not to laugh right along with her. We do a lot of laughing together on the show, and talk about her happy Chewbacca tattoo, her lofty goal before she turns 40 (hint: it involves Michael Jackson's "Thriller"), being on the Late Late Show with James Corden, and her theories about The Last Jedi. We also chat about her faith journey, experiencing homelessness as a child, her new book, Laugh It Up, and how we can embrace defiant joy in the middle of hard times.
Today's sponsor is b.a.r.e. soaps! Use LIGHTEN15 for 15% off. Also, they're giving away a BARE Kindness Box to one lucky listener. To enter to win, leave a review of the show on iTunes this week.
Hey welcome to episode 49 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale! Today I'm talking with poet and author Amena Brown. You guys I love her. She shares with us her process of writing and performing her spoken word poem about miscarriage, called "Mothers of Invisible Children." And then somehow we segue from hard stuff into light and laughter. We tell stories about our awkward relationships, awkward coworkers, awkward church people, favorite albums we own on vinyl, why she wrote How to Fix a Broken Record, food rules for a happy marriage, and what it's like to really be yourself. Whether you're heading to the office or your office is the laundry room, listen in and lighten up!
Today's sponsor is b.a.r.e. soaps! Use LIGHTEN15 for 15% off. Also, they're giving away a BARE Kindness Box of soaps to one lucky listener. To enter to win, leave a review of the show on iTunes this week.
Check out Amena's book, How To Fix a Broken Record: Thoughts on Vinyl Records, Awkward Relationships, and Learning to Be Myself
Amena on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Open mic nights in Atlanta: Urban Grind and Curate
Destiny - The Jacksons
A Seat at the Table - Solange