Accidental Friends

We went down another reddit rabbit hole and we found some juicy 'Am I The Asshole' stories! And you know us, we absolutely love to give our two cents on any situation so tune in as we discuss charging your kid rent, smashing faces into cakes, your mom posting your ex on socials and more! Tune in to get our thoughts and find out we agree on who the asshole in the situation.     Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok      

Let's be real, therapy has gained popularity recently – and we love to see people taking care of their mental health! But what comes with it are the therapy terms that are thrown around without actually understanding what they mean. "Boundaries" "trauma" "gaslighting." Now I'm not saying we're perfect because we've definitely used these wrong in the past but we wanted to make this episode to learn a bit more alongside with you!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok  

With both of us being in our thirties, we've learned a few things along the way. And there are some things we would love to go back and tell our sweet younger selves.    Listen to this episode and we hope it resonates!     Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok

Diet culture, eat your heart out! We open up about how each of our relationships with food has been in serious flux in the past year. Alene has been exploring the topic with her therapist, and Kristen has decided after eight years to no longer be vegan!   Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok

We never thought we'd subscribe to the notion that our bodies change once we hit 30. We're going to be young forever, right? Well, Kristen and Alene have definitely seen some changes to their body and they're dishing on it in this week's episode.  If you've listened to past episodes, you know both of us are allll about body positivity and body neutrality but we're finding it difficult these days so we wanted to share our feelings.  We go into advocating for yourself at the doctor, how to trust your gut, and so much more!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok  

It feels like as we have gotten older, our social capacity has gotten smaller but our calendars keep getting busier! We used to laugh when we'd see older couples having to schedule time with their friends, and now...somehow... it's become us!! Terrifying.  In this episode we talk about the glorification of hustle culture, being perceived as "booked and busy" and how they want to intentionally slow down in the coming months. We have a feeling that Kristen's time in Spain might make that especially easy! Plus! We learn a bit about Human Design, and to our surprise, we have a lot more in common than we thought! Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok  

We're baaaack! We've been gone a while and there's LOTS to catch you up on. So grab a coffee, tea, or marg and get ready to just chit chat with us as we talk about what we've been up to since our (way too long) hiatus, how we definitely don't have our sh*t together, even in our 30s, and what's coming up next for us!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok

It's time for Alene's fave episode so here we are with Hate it or Love it: Social Media. Over the last year or so, Alene has made a career in social media and has even started her own social media management company so it's safe to say she spends ALL her time on there.  She wanted to bring this episode back as a little reminder for herself and everyone else, so we hope you enjoy it the second time around!  Social media plays such a huge part in our lives and we definitely have a love-hate relationship with it. Have you ever even looked at the amount of time you spend on there every day? It might scare you...it did us! So this episode we're breaking it all down for ya. From when we got our first cell phone (where's the Nokia brick phone gang?) to taking social media breaks to finding our middle ground and establishing boundaries. We're bringing you another Hate it or Love it: Social Media Edition.   Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast TikTok Accidental Friends Website

We're doing something a little differently! This week, ya girls needed a break but we didn't want to leave you without an episode. So we thought we'd bring you back to one of our earlier seasons. This week we're reposting one of Kristen's favourite episodes . The reasoning behind her choice? "A funny contrast to the valentines convo!" And she is right about that. We hope you enjoy this wayback! Season 2, Episode 8: Who Carries the Emotional Labour in Your Relationship? Relationships are about give and take – we've all heard that before. But in some relationships, the emotional burden to make the relationship last is put on one person's shoulders. In this episode, we discuss our definition of emotional labour, how society rewards women for having a significant other, and why sometimes giving 70% while your partner only gives 30% is actually okay.    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok Accidental Friends Website

This episode is for the taken, the single, and everyone in between! Valentine's Day is always such a tricky part of the year. Regardless of whether or not you're in a relationship, people have mixed emotions about the day. Is it a commercial holiday? Is it just for those in relationships? What's the point of it if the other 364 days of the year, there's no show of affection or love? We are getting into it! Alene has spent MANY a Valentine's Days alone and she shares her tip on how to make this Valentine's Day as a single person your favourite one yet!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok Accidental Friends Website

We took a different route this week and wanted to talk about empathy towards men. We're quick to make a jab at “being a white man” and might sometimes come off as “man-haters” but that just isn't true at all. We empathize with men deeply on a lot of issues, specifically surround anything that doesn't offer them a space to be vulnerable or true to themselves. This week we're diving into things we empathize with men about and hope that our male listeners feel that this is a safe space for them.   Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok Accidental Friends Website

Here we sit in our thrones (really just normal chairs but you get the picture) talking about red flags in relationships and other parts of our life, so it was time we turned the spotlight onto ourselves. Because we are nothing if not self-aware queens! This week we talked about 3 red flags we see in ourselves in both our friendships and relationships – and somehow this exercise came a little easy for us? Tune in to find out what we think our biggest flaws are! We'd love to hear yours.   Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends Website 

Okay, before you think, whooooa that's some existential stuff right there, stick with us. Death is something that we will all experience at some point in our lives – hopefully not for a very very long time. So if this “experience” is universal to us all, how come it's not talked about? Well, we went there this episode. Where do we think we go when we die? Are we scared of death? How do we really feel about it? And is there really a big white guy in a beard and white cloak greeting at those pearly gates with a margarita?    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends Website

Have you ever travelled somewhere and had the feeling, “oh this feels like home”? And we're not talking about the fleeting feeling of going somewhere new and wanting to move there immediately, this is more of a soul tie to a place. Well, we have but we've never really talked about it in depth. And while we both live in Toronto, we have very different things to say about our “home,” the big city. Do we even feel at home here? Where would we be living instead? In this episode, we talk about it all, discussing the feelings of community, how a city can feel like it promotes individualism, and finally, Kristen shares a BIG life update!     Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram

Okay, we're admitting it. We went down a Reddit rabbit hole and let us tell you, there are some gooood stories on there! So while we would have liked to discuss every single juicy detail, we took some of the most interesting questions we could find (for now…) and answered them ourselves. This week we get into: What are your thoughts about the concept of virginity, purity, the sacredness/specialness of sex, and saving yourself for marriage? What are your thoughts on dating outside your culture? What are your thoughts on being with someone who has no sexual or relational experiences? How would you define love? What does love mean to you? Tune in and let us know your thoughts on these questions!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram  

It's always the same thing. December 31st comes around and everyone reflects on the past year. Did we accomplish our new year's resolutions? What was even on that list? But the last few years, we've been doing things a little differently. Rather than setting SMART goals like we've always been taught (who's with me here?), we do intention setting. How do we want this year to feel to us? What would the best version of ourselves look like? In this episode, we go into detail about our new version of new year's resolution, give you an example by going through Kristen's '30 before 30' list, and tell you our intentions for the new year! We'd love to hear yours!    If you're looking for a new way to look at goals, we highly recommend The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. It's how we got into this mindset for goal-setting and we think you'll love it.   This is not an affiliate by the way, it's just a book we both genuinely love!    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends Website  

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Or is it? For many people the holidays bring up all sorts of feelings. Happiness, joy, but also anxiety, frustration, and stress. From body image issues, to setting boundaries with family members, to comparing yourself to others' seemingly picture-perfect life, these are the aspects of the holidays not often talked about. In this episode, we dive into how we deal with all those conflicting feelings that come up during this time, how we're looking at jealousy differently, and how to create moments of peace when you feel you don't have any. So happy holidays?    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends Tiktok Accidental Friends Website

Piggy backing off last week's question – we've got another episode about the passing of time. We're clearly in our feels on this one! Remember the days when all you had to think about was what you were going to get up to on the weekend with your best friends? They were your main priority. Dinners every week. Nights out every weekend. Then one day it changed. Now it seems like no one has the time anymore as we're piled with responsibilities and  shifting priorities. Well, we're both feeling it too! So come join our conversation as we talk about this new phase in our life and how we're navigating it all while keeping our sanity!     Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends Website Accidental Friends TikTok  

We hear it all the time. Everybody seems to have an opinion on where your relationship should be going, how fast it should be moving, and what your next steps should be. And it can get even more complicated when your friends are in relationships that are moving at a pace that's very different than yours or what you want. So how do you deal with that? Well, you're not alone – because we've experienced it too! This week, we're going in detail about the timelines of each of our relationships with some brand new conversations that we haven't even had off the pod. This one's a juicy one and you're going to want to hear it!   Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Instagram Accidental Friends TikTok Accidental Friends Website

Drugs or straight edge. You read that right – this week we're talking alllll about it. We all grew up with a different relationship to drugs. Was it openly talked about? Was it common where you grew up? Have you ever tried it? Or were you totally freaked out? Both of us have our own unique relationship to it and while we've always accepted each other's stance, we've never really known why.  We get into our first experiences with drugs, peer pressure, and where we stand now.    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends Podcast 

We're starting season 4 off with a BANG – feminism, baby! We went back to our roots with this one. Feminism is a topic that we haven't really talked about together off the pod so we thought why not have our first conversation about it with all of you. We have two very different viewpoints when it comes to what feminism means to us. We're talking body hair, plastic surgery and so many other goodies and how it all fits into feminism. So before you start this episode, we're curious to know – do you consider yourself a feminist? Taking it back to our roots with this one – different perspectives, one podcast.     INSTAGRAM Alene Degian Kristen Mandala Accidental Friends Podcast www.accidentalfriendspodcast.com

Okay, okay folks, we know we've been out of commission for a few months. BUT before we get back to regular programming, in honour in National Podcast Day, we wanted to bring you a special episode to tell you where we've been and what we've been up to. These last few months haven't exactly been easy on us but we are so ready to come back to you with more episodes, more chats, and more love.   Expanded by To Be Magnetic podcast: EP. 216 - Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma, Authenticity, & Healing    Alene's Instagram Kristen's Instagram   Accidental Friends Podcast Instagram Accidental Friends Website

You all never cease to amaze us with your amazing questions! This week we're answering two questions about how to set boundaries with those you love – we know it's hard and we're constantly working on this ourselves! So this week we talk all about how to let family and friends know you're struggling, how to deal with a seemingly one-sided relationship, and the importance of keeping promises to yourself.    INSTAGRAM Alene Degian Kristen Mandala Accidental Friends Podcast   Viv Affiliate Link

In honour of Earth Day tomorrow, April 22nd, we are talking all about sustainability and our individual responsibility towards the climate crisis. If you are new to the world of environmentalism, this conversation is for you. If you are not new, we still suggest you listen up. Our very own, Kristen Mandala, a Sustainability Consultant and Content Creator, has created this judgement-free zone for us to ask any questions that will get us started on our journey! Please follow her for more tips, tricks and just overall feel-good, positive climate content!   NOTABLE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS @ecowithnico @consciouslyelle @raven.trust @greenpeace @intersectionalenvironmentalist   WEBSITES Greenpeace 350.org    INSTAGRAM Alene Degian Kristen Mandala   Viv Affiliate Link

Even though over one quarter of the population menstruates, how much do we really know about our cycles? Like did you know there were four phases to your cycle – and not just "period" and "not period?" Well, in this episode, we're opening up the floor to discuss all things menstruation. We discuss what we were really taught about our periods, what we're still learning about our periods – AND our bodies, and how we need to make period talk way more commonplace (among men and women). Let us remind you, this is not a medical podcast. We're strictly talking our personal experiences and what we've learned along the way!   INSTAGRAM Alene Degian Kristen Mandala   Viv Affiliate Link

It's somebody's birthday! Who's birthday?! Our lovely Kristen! Next week, Kristen turns the big 3-0 so we wanted to sit down and discuss how she wants to bring in the new decade. What has she learned in her 20s? What is she excited to leave behind? And what she's looking forward to most in the decade now known as “the new 20s.” So whether you're in your 20s, 30s, or beyond, take a listen and celebrate the one we all love so much!    INSTAGRAM Alene Degian Kristen Mandala   VIV AFFILIATE LINK

You asked, we answered! We put out a call a couple weeks ago to answer any questions you might have and you saucy minxes did not disappoint. Seems all y'all want to talk about is sex – and we are HERE FOR IT! So we're answering your burning sex questions: is there too much pressure on sex? What do we think of sexting with your partner? Orgasms, exploring sexuality and more! Not to toot our own horn but this might be one of our favourite episodes yet!    INSTAGRAM ALENE: @alenedegian KRISTEN: @thegreener.good   Viv Affiliate Link Here

We've all had our hearts broken by our crushes, partners, and situationships. But what about friendship breakups? It's hardly ever talked about but it's a very real thing. And we don't just mean the friendships that end because one party did something wrong, but the ones that gradually grow apart. Sometimes it's hard to accept that a friend who's been in your life forever no longer aligns with the person you're becoming. It may not be an easy decision but you deserve to be surrounded by people who uplift you, inspire you, and encourage you to grow. In this episode, we discuss our own friendship breakups and how we've approached them. Come hang out in our circle for a bit of support! INSTAGRAM @accidentalfriendspodcast @alenedegian @thegreener.good Viv Affiliate Link  

We live in a world where women are often expected to act a certain way and want specific things. So it always seems radical when a woman starts to pave her own path and really think about what SHE wants – and not simply what society has conditioned her to want. In this episode, we talk about wanting kids, if we'll take our husbands last names – and the reasons for our choices – and all the other ridiculous things women have to face on the daily.   Instagram: Alene: @alenedegian Kristen: @thegreener.good Viv Affiliate Link Here 

You know that feeling when you see someone after a little time of not seeing them and something just seems different? They're more vibrant, confident, and just glowing overall! Well, that's exactly what happened with our producer, Chloe. Tune in this week to hear her tips about her transformation and how she continues to have a major GLOW UP!   Resources mentioned in the episode: BOOK: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment PODCAST: Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings   Instagram: Alene: @alenedegian Kristen: @thegreener.good Viv products found here!

We put out a call to get some question submissions by our audience and my, oh my, did y'all deliver! We rounded up a few questions around a common theme to answer in one big episode – friendships & boundaries! What's the best way to make more female friends? Would love to surround myself with more positive, confident women. How to decipher a healthy friendship from an unhealthy one? What to do when your friends always complain/have no perspective? How to set boundaries with family and friends who don't make you feel seen/heard? And you know we loooved getting to discuss how we've formed an amazing group of women around us, how we set boundaries around our loved ones, and how to make sure you are surrounded by a group of supportive, badass people!   Instagram: @accidentalfriendspodcast @alenedegian @thegreener.good   Viv Link Here

If you're on your healing journey – or you're about to start your healing journey, this episode is for you! There's one aspect of the journey that isn't talked about enough and can often feel shameful or confusing: when you end up 5 steps behind all over again. You think you've been doing well. Going to therapy, journaling, meditating, monitoring your triggers then bam! Something sets you off and you feel like all that work was for nothing. Well, you're not alone. That part is a very necessary – and very real – part of what you're going through and both of us have experienced it. So come take a listen, you'll feel a little less alone – we promise.   Instagram: @accidentalfriendspodcast @alenedegian @thegreener.good   Viv Link Here  

Okay, let's set the scene. You start dating someone. They're cute, super sweet, treat you right, give you the right amount of butterflies, alllll the good stuff. Then you get the questions: is he THE ONE? Is he your SOULMATE? We've all been asked this at one point when we're really into someone. But how can we be sure that this person is our soulmate? Do you believe every person has one soulmate? Are soulmates born or created? Do soulmates even exist? As much as we love love, we wanted to get real about the 'soulmate' topic so tune in this week as we dive right into it!   Instagram: @accidentalfriendspodcast @alenedegian @thegreener.good   Viv Link Here

We wanted to start season 3 off with a bang – SO WE SHAVED OUR HEADS! Just kidding, only Kristen did that and she obviously looks amazing. But why did she do it? Yes, there was a reason for it and we go into the why and how Alene helped in the process. And with this being our first episode back in the new year, we discuss new years resolutions and how we currently set them and limiting beliefs and why it's so important to share them with your loved ones. We're so excited to share this season with you! Viv Affiliate Link Here Instagram: @accidentalfriendspodcast Alene's instagram: @alenedegian Kristen's instagram: @thegreener.good

Confidence is NOT something you're born with – it's something you build and develop over time. So if you feel like you're not confident yet, don't even stress, friend – we've both been there! And that's exactly what we talk about in this episode. We discuss how our confidence ebbs and flows, what we do now when we're not feeling so confident, and how to have your own 'main character' moment! Trust us, you NEED it. 

Relationships are about give and take – we've all heard that before. But in some relationships, the emotional burden to make the relationship last is put on one person's shoulders – and that is just not right! In this episode, we discuss our definition of emotional labour, how society rewards women for having a significant other, and why sometimes giving 70% while your partner only gives 30% is actually okay.

From diet teas to cycle syncing your workouts, we cover it all with Vanessa Marilynn, personal trainer, educator, and speaker. Vanessa has a very unique view to fitness, incorporating a more holistic approach with her clients. We asked her her thoughts on diet teas (did she take the bait?), syncing up your workouts with your menstrual cycle , and what 3 things should someone focus on when just starting out of their fitness journey!  You can find her on instagram at: @vanessamarilynn or her podcast, VWellness Radio anywhere you listen to podcasts! Check her out – and hire her! – because she's awesome! 

How many times have you called a friend because you were scared on your walk home? Or crossed the street to avoid someone walking towards you on the same side? Well, you're not alone. We all do it – unfortunately. In this episode, Kristen and Alene discuss when they first started learning about safety to what they do now to keep themselves safe. Sprinkled with stories along the way, this episode is meant to bring to light all the extra steps many folks have to take just to keep safe. 

Do you consider yourself a creative person? If you do, welcome! If you don't, we promise you, deep down you definitely are. Alene and Kristen have always led very creative lives, with Alene being an actor for most of her life and Kristen photographing the world in her travels. We sat down to discuss our creative process, how we get out of creative ruts, and the formula to embracing your creativity within. 

This week we have our very first guest and we are honoured to have Travis McKenna on the podcast with us. You may know Travis as the frontman of the band, John Famos or host of his very own podcast, Almost Famos. We invited him on because we wanted to get a guy's perspective into all things dating, relationships, and sex! Tune in as we candidly ask him all about what makes for a fun first date, does confidence in dating help, and what do guys really look at when having sex.

It is officially Spooky Season! No, we're not talking about your exes coming back – though that would be scary. We're talking about Halloween! How do you decide what to be for Halloween? Do you feel the pressure to make your costume sexy? Are you even still celebrating? We discuss all of that and more. Tune in as we chat Halloween over the years, from trick-or-treating as a kid, to the need to dress sexy regardless of the costume, and finally, our thoughts on the holiday as a whole.

Just in time for spooky season, we are talking about relationship dealbreakers! Over the years, Alene and Kristen have had their fair share of bad dates, but they've learned a few things in the process. Like what they will absolutely not tolerate! This week, we talk all about the signs that we consider major red flags in dating as well as spill the tea on some dating horror stories! 

We are back, baby and we are so excited to kick off season 2 talking all about traditions. As we gear up for a few holidays in the coming months, we wanted to discuss how each of our families celebrate. As you all know, we have very different family dynamics so our holidays look a little different from each other's. Kristen talks about how she juggles multiple family celebrations all while building her own traditions with her partner, while Alene chats about the old and new traditions of her little family! 

It's the season finale, baby and we're talking social media! Social media plays such a huge part in our lives and we definitely have a love-hate relationship with it. Have you ever even looked at the amount of time you spend on there every day? It might scare you....it did us! So this episode we're breaking it all down for ya. From when we got our first cell phone (where's the Nokia brick phone gang?) to taking social media breaks to finding our middle ground and establishing boundaries. We're bringing you another Hate it or Love it: Social Media Edition.

When you were a kid, did that question stress you out or excite you? Did you ever think it was crazy how we had to decide our futures at 17? Well, you're not alone. Not everyone knows what they want their future to look like before they've even become a legal adult. And if you do, that's cool too!  Both of us have non-traditional careers and took non-traditional paths to get there. There's been a lot of trial and error to get to where we are now. So, in true Accidental Friends fashion, we wanted to share how we figured out "what we wanted to do" and why it's totally okay to make a career change at any time! 

How often have you seen yourself represented on stage or screen? Someone that looks like you, acts like you, talks like you...and not an airbrushed version of you. If you're like us, it's not often. This week we discuss what we want to see more of in the media and why representation in the media is so important for our health, our growth, and our future generations. 

Taking care of our mental health is something we feel very strongly about. Over the years of our friendship, we've had many conversations about our ups, downs and eventual best practices of what we find works for us individually so we wanted to share that with all of you. We understand everyone's experience with their mental health is very personal. We hope these tools and resources will come in handy or at the very least, we hope you feel that you are not alone. 

We've sent out a disclaimer to our families: DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE. Why? Because we are talking ALL. ABOUT. SEX. Oftentimes, there's a lot of shame, confusion, and just all around insecurity about this topic so we needed to debrief. We discuss where we first learned about sex and how our perceptions of it have changed over time. We talk good sex, female pleasure, and everything in between. You do not want to miss this one! 

There's a moment in all our lives where we look at ourselves in the mirror and pick at every single thing we hate about our bodies. We've all been there. You're not alone. From a very early age, we are made to believe our bodies are never good enough. Too thin, too fat, too muscular, too (insert adjective here). This episode, we discuss our body image issues growing up, comments from others that confirmed our beliefs, and how loving your body is the most radical thing you can do in this society. 

Ever wanted to know what goes on behind-the-scenes at a restaurant? Well, we've got you covered. We tell you how we got started in the service industry, talk about some juicy guest stories (including the saucy ones), and what we learned along the way! Working in the service industry is not for the faint of heart so please be nice and tip your servers! 

Let's talk BODY HAIR! It seems like most people have a pretty big love/hate relationship with it. In this episode, we're talking all about our relationship with body hair and whether it's changed through the years. When did we first start waxing or shaving? How do we feel about it now? And if you've ever gotten waxed, we're sure you'll relate to some of the horror stories we've experienced along the way.