My Life is a Junk Drawer

he season finale of My Life is a Junk Drawer will make you laugh your fanny off. It's a first for me... Recording in the hot tub. Thanks ladies for sharing your hysterical stories from quarantine. This is definitely the best way to wrap up the season. Love you ladies.

This week I have a frank and raw conversation with my friend Angie about the effects of addiction. Angie's dad was addicted to cocaine for over 20 years. She is so forth rite and inspiring. She talks about the years she didn't see her dad. And then how one day he ended up on her doorstep ready to get clean. Angie has been through so much but all along she has kept her humor. I was cracking up a lot during this interview. It's a must listen, especially for those who have a family member or friend that is battling addiction.

This week we are talking autoimmune disease with Christen Perrella from Metamorphosis-mindbody pilates and wellness studio. She has done a complete metamorphosis on her health and wellness. She is such a wealth of information and one of the sweetest people I know. Please hang with us, we kind of jump all over the place but she has so much knowledge on healing the whole mind, body and spirit. You have to listen to the end because she definitely has the most outrageous item in her junk drawer. Disclaimer...it may be a little PG-13. You can find her at www.Meta-mindbody.com. Go and look her up. She is beautiful on the inside and out.

My husband J joins me as we talk to the Baby Boomer generation about Coronavirus. Listen to find out who he would like to be in quarantine with during this shelter in place. Hear my irritation as he talks about his "new normal" and then here our laughter together as I shoot rapid fire questions at him. And as we have heard a lot, we are all in this together. With kindness and patience we will come out on the other side. 

This week I invited my friends Mani Young and Heather Tansy to join me at Generation X takes on COVID-19. I was inspired by the answers they gave. As we indulged in happy hour, we created an all women task force to wipe out Coronavirus and you will never guess who is on it. We also talked about what was keeping us sane in these very crazy times. Please listen to the end as the alcohol goes a little to our head.

This week I sit down and talk Coronavirus with the millennial generation. My son CJ and his girlfriend, Katie, share their thoughts on social distancing, new normals and shelter in place. We end with the good things that are still going on in these crazy times. P.S. There may or may not have been a bottle of wine involved in this conversation.

This week my two Gen Z kids come on and speak up for their generation on the Coronavirus. They are witty, practical and very funny. I think they are well spoken, make good points and have valid opinions. Join us as we stay home, keep safe, spread joy and give grace.

Just me this week. Trying to spread a little entertainment in a very trying time. I hope you will listen as I talk about what I fear running out of most, 3 things I can't live without. I tell you what I am sad about during Coronavirus craziness and 5 things I find joyful. It will be worth the listen.

Listen to this episode with your teenage daughter. It's such an important topic. This week I have a conversation with Suzanne Carpenter from Carpenter0ne80 about disordered eating and self image. So many of us struggle with negative self talk, especially about our weight. Suz has recovered from her eating disorder and now helps others. She is lively and funny and so engaging. She teaches me about the science of healthy eating and how easy it can be. Please remember we are not doctor or therapists. Just two women having sharing ideas and stories.

This week Jennifer and I continue our talk about everything under the sun. She shares stories about her marriage and the depression her husband suffered and how he recovered. We talk about her kind and giving heart. How she consistently tries to make this world a better place. She went from doing a lot of random volunteering to more specific child based helping. She is now on the board of Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Charlottesville, VA. She, like me is a foodie, and I talk about her becoming a plant based whole food vegan. And how that came about. She then shares a very vulnerable side of herself as she shares the story of her dad and his fight with Alzheimer's. What a brave conversation. We end with me blubbering about the value of our friendship. A spectacular episode.

This episode is a conversation with one of my oldest and dearest friends. She and I walk down memory lane together. We share stories about our life long friendship. Then Jennifer talks about her real life working passion, the benefits of early childhood education. She talks about what young kids need, especially those from lower incomes. She shares how she is putting better support for pre schoolers will benefit us all. You have no choice but to listen.

This week I have an incredible conversation with my friend, David. We go back to his childhood and talk about what it is like growing up with a brother who has paranoid schizophrenia. He doesn't leave anything in the junk drawer. He talks about what he saw as a young boy, the breakdown his brother had and how this has shaped him into the person he is today. It is mind blowing but so educational. I hope, after you listen, some of your stereotypical thoughts of schizophrenia will be tamed. I know mine were. Enjoy!!

Welcome to Season 3 of My Life is a Junk Drawer. This week we look into the junk drawer of our soul. Can we find a comfortable spot right in the middle of all that junk? Can we embrace all of the imperfections in ourselves and in our lives? This season is about discovering the unique and beautiful untidiness of our lives and loving every part of it! We only get one life and tomorrow isn't promised. Let's not spend it condemning and bullying ourselves. Oh man... It's going to get messy!!

Happy Holidays everyone. This is my last podcast of the season and of the year. I want to thank all my listerers and my guest for all you have given me. We have told great stories together and that is what this podcast is all about. It is about letting ordinary people tell their extraordinary stories. To close out the season I tell you my top 10 favorite things of the year. I thought it would be a fun way to end the year. I hope you like the items as much as I do. And to remind you, I do not get paid on any of these items. They are just things I love.

This week the conversation is about heading off to college. Maisie returns and shares her experiences from her first semester of college. A fun and lively chat about what to do and not to do as you transition from home life to college life.

This week Sonja returns and we have the best conversation about boundaries. She has so much information for you and she will have you cracking up while she tells you. Just wait until she tells you what's new in her junk drawer.

Take an inside look at the healing powers of Essential oils with Michelle Ducato. It's so worth listening too!!

This is a must listen for any one going through a loss or who knows someone going through a loss. We talk very candidly about our losses, friendship, grief and new chapters. Heather is a wonderful story teller and she made me laugh through the whole episode. Yes we are laughing widows!! I hope you find this episode as powerful and dynamic as I did.

This week, in honor of the giving season, my husband J Kirchoff joins me, once again, to talk about donating and volunteering. J has such a generous spirit and donates to so many incredible places, including Habitat for Humanity, Turning Point Rehabilitation, No Longer Bound and The Covenant House. He has seen so many lives changed for the better. And in turn, we have been changed for the better. Listen to hear all the opportunities where you too can make a difference.

The loss of miscarriage often goes under the radar. It seems that we are not talking about the heartbreak that comes with the loss of a pregnancy. This week we talk to Alicia and she shares her tender story of miscarriage after miscarriage. You can hear the hurt in her voice when she talks about her losses. But you can also hear her strength and courage as she keeps trying to conceive and how she becomes her own best advocate. It's a great episode for anyone who has gone through a miscarriage or is close to someone who has.

This week I get really up close and personal with you as I share stories from the last 10 years without Mike, my first husband. Grief likes to show it's evil head at the most unexpected times. This week I was blown away with the depth of my own grief. Even 10 years later I can feel the pain and heartache of my loss. But I also can see how far my family has come and how much we have healed and grown. The pain of grief never really goes away. It sits in a little corner of your heart and hangs out. As you heal, the spot becomes more about memories and moments and less about hurt and sadness. I hope if you are grieving or know someone who is grieving this episode gives you a little more insight and information into the journey though loss and into recovery.

This week I talk to Maddy Sims about her high level gymnastics career. She shares incredible stories of determination, drive and achievement. She had to overcome many obstacles. She even thought her career might end sooner rather than later. Please join us on this journey to overcome injuries and doubt, as Maddy gives us a glimpse into the life of a competitive athlete.

This week I have a brave young woman on telling her story about her sexual assault. This a powerful and important episode. Though it is not for young ears, it is a story that needs to be heard. Meredith is so vulnerable and tender while sharing her story with me. I believe she is not alone in what has happened to her. There are too many stories out there that are similar to Meredith's and It's Not OK.

This week I spend time with my friend Michele who will have you rolling with laughter. She has an incredible talent for seeing the bright side of evert situation. She lives her best life every day not by doing out of this world crazy activities but in small simple tasks of an ordinary day. She has some of the funniest stories and her sarcastic humor is all over this episode. But she has so many great nuggets of wisdom. She give us some remarkable examples for building strong relationships, friendships and life in general.

In this episode, my friend Autumn shares her journey to the top of the corporate ladder. She talks about her trials and tribulations of juggling work life and home life. Her type A, highly driven personality has gotten her to the top, but at what cost? Join me as we tackle all the elements of ambition and what it takes to succeed in a man dominated career. Throughout this interview we laugh a lot. Autumn is the first to say she might have a bit of a control issue. She has grown and matured in the last several years as she has cleaned out the junk drawer of her ambitious career.

In this episode we talk about Sweet Summertime. I reminisce about how I wanted summer to be one way but it turned out a totally different way. I had to change my perspective to see how sweet summertime can really be. I share stories of chaos and clutter that seemed to ruin my summer, but as I reflected back I realized they created magic moments.

This week I talk about how to keep going during times of suffering, loss and hardship. I share the life of Victor Frankl who spent 3 years in a concentration camp.

In this episode Stephanie and I talk about building communities, specifically a mother's fellowship community.

Part 2 is about the steps Sonja took to get sober, how she stays sober and how she is now paying it forward and helping others who are struggling with alcohol.

This episode dives into alcoholism with my friend Sonja who is a recovering alcoholic. It is so real and deep and, at times, heartbreaking.

This episode takes a look at some of the stupid things we say and do as caregivers. I share some stories of my past mistakes and I how I have learned to listen more, love more and shut up.

This episode dives into second marriages, the triumphs, the failures and all the silly moments in between.

This is one of the most important episodes I have done so far. I speak candidly with a young woman who is battling and winning generalized anxiety disorder.

Anita and I talk about how moving your body can be so beneficial to your mind body and soul.

In this episode I talk to my friend Mani Young about the most difficult year in her life after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

After feeling lost and alone many times in her life, Sydney takes us on a journey from nanny to professional channel manager to entrepreneur.

Navigating the tunnel of grief after a loss of a relationship through death or divorce

The story of my heartbreaks, losses and victories in the last 10 years.

We all hide junk in our hearts, souls, bodies and yes junk drawers but cleaning out the stuff will help you live your best life now.