The Station Wagon Podcast: Exploring Mindfulness and Sibling Rivalry

After a long break, Marc and Julie are back with lots of nice stuff to say to themselves. Grab your mirror, and enjoy this ep all about the science and history of self-affirmation! Be Social Leave us feedback on Itunes (or wherever). Join the discussion in our Facebook Group. Tweet at us @Wagonpod Credits This episode was recorded in Snoqualmie and Olympia, and produced at Shiny Object studios using Audacity. All research by Julie and Marc; all opinions are our own. Our music, “Modern Problems” is by The Pleasure Kills Give  Send your cash to Planned Parenthood or one of the other great organizations devoted to providing quality care to all!

Don't take your reflection for granted. Learn about the history and science of looking in mirrors and what happens when we (tried to) give them up for a couple of weeks. Be Social Leave us feedback on Itunes (or wherever). Join the discussion in our Facebook Group. Tweet at us @Wagonpod Credits This episode was recorded in Snoqualmie and Olympia, and produced at Shiny Object studios using Audacity. All research by Julie and Marc; all opinions are our own. Our music, “Modern Problems” is by The Pleasure Kills Give  Send your cash to Planned Parenthood or one of the other great organizations devoted to providing quality care to all!

How many varieties of Doritos do we actually need? What happens when we give up food variety? Learn the science and history of diet variation and follow along for Marc and Julie's experiment! Please note: This is the episode in which we go for a more organic, less-edited feel. I.e, Hear Marc make lots of notes to himself about editing, which Julie deliberately ignores because she got to edit this one [insert evil laughing]. Be Social Leave us feedback on Itunes (or wherever). Join the discussion in our Facebook Group. Tweet at us @Wagonpod Credits This episode was recorded in Snoqualmie and Olympia, and produced at Shiny Object studios using Audacity. All research by Julie and Marc; all opinions are our own. Our music, “Modern Problems” is by The Pleasure Kills

Siblings Marc Shecter and Dr. Julie Kinn give you the science and history of the things in life we take for granted. After taking a closer look, they change their behavior for a couple of weeks and tell you how it goes!  

"Pop music is not a threatening style of music." -- Joan Jett. That's good to know since we are only listening to pop music and not our usual mix. Spoiler alert -- one of us like this, one of us didn't.  

How much sleep do we actually need? We dive into the science and history of sleep, and then try to reduce our sleep for a couple of weeks to see how bad it really is. Learn more about insomnia, sleep apneas, and all sorts of sleep disorders and treatments/tips for adults and kids from actual experts on the A Better Night's Sleep podcast (made for the military, but good for everyone!). Be Social Leave us feedback on Itunes. Join the discussion in our Facebook Group. Credits This episode was recorded in Snoqualmie and Olympia, and produced at Shiny Object studios using Audacity. All research by Julie and Marc; all opinions are our own. Our music, “Modern Problems” is by The Pleasure Kills Thank you's Huge thanks to our listeners whose enthusiasm keeps us going! And to our spouses, children, and friends for putting up with us giving us feedback and contributing to the betterment of our show.  

We become much better people by giving up gossip. Sort of. Tune in to learn all about the science and history of gossip and why giving it up is probably not a great idea.

Julie seeks advice from Marc on how to handle people who are seriously into medical treatments that have no scientific backing. Spoiler: he's not very helpful. Weigh in with your own recommendations on Twitter or Facebook. Please! We seriously need all the help we can get!  

When is cash better than credit, and vice versa? Learn the history and science of how we pay for stuff, and find out what happens when we give up credit and virtual payments. Featuring guest star, "Olaf" and commercial break from Planned Parenthood.

We dig deep into the reasons why modern Westerners take pictures, and we find out what happens when we give up photography for a couple of weeks. Spoiler alert: Pebbles was the real victim of this experiment. Commercial Break: Planned Parenthood #science #history #podernfamily 

Join us for a minisode in which we dig into the research behind some delicious clickbait!

It's a battle of the siblings: Marc Shecter thinks dream interpretation is enlightening, and Julie Kinn thinks it's cow dung. Spoiler alert: Julie's right. And cooler. And smells better. And is in charge of "show notes" this month. Learn history and science of dreams and dream interpretation, and find out what Marc and Julie learn about themselves when they record their dreams for two weeks. Commercial break: Planned Parenthood The Meddling Kids Podcast (A Scooby-Doo Review) P.S. Hey Marc, You're so ugly Hello Kitty said goodbye to you.

Marc and Julie's latest ep is like a user's guide for your mouth! Learn all about the history, science, and cultural significance of lipstick and lip balm.  Plus, Julie even tried "grown up lady" make-up for a week (see below for proof)! It didn't end well. Can someone please help her, already? Commercial break: Planned Parenthood

Is white 'chocolate' chocolate? What's the deal with craving chocolate before menstruation? Is chocolate actually healthy? Find out with the latest ep of the Station Wagon Podcast, all about the history and science of chocolate (and what happens when hosts Marc Shecter and Julie Kinn tried to give it up for two weeks)! Big thanks to: Chris Osborne of Play Comics Podcast The Pleasure Kills for the use of the song Modern Problems 

We chill out in episode 39 and focus on the science and history of meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation. Learn about our two-week test: what worked, what didn't, and how Sanford and Sons can assist you during stressful times! Shout-outs: Suzy of the Casual Birder Podcast Paul of Varmints Podcast Harvey of the 1240 Hangover Cure Podcast Be sure to try out the Military Meditation Coach podcast and the apps Julie mentioned: the Mindfulness Coach, Virtual Hope Box, and Breathe2Relax.  

Marc and Julie talk about the history and science of traditional nail care. Learn what happens when they give up nail clippers and go Old School!   Important stuff: Thanks to Brittney Miller (above) for the interview segment and inspiration! Thanks to Planned Parenthood for everything you do

How much do you acknowledge strangers walking by you on the sidewalk? What about acquaintances at work? Are you like Marc who hates humanity or Julie who tries to high-five random joggers? In this ep, we learn all about the science, history, and culture of modern greeting rituals -- and then talk about what happened when we went out of our way to give a friendly greeting (or at least eye contact and a head nod) to everyone on our path. Special shout-outs: Cecil Baldwin and Meg Bashwiner of Welcome to Nightvale for teaching up how to do vocal warm-ups at PodCon! The Washington Center for the Performing Arts The Toph of GravityBeard Podcast Kyle of the Merchants of Dirt Podcast Meddling Kids Podcast (Julie's awesome Scooby-Doo recap show) Big thanks to the friends who sent in clips we didn't have space to use! Especially Chris Osborne of The Play Comics Podcast and Jimmy from Jimmy Teaches Everything  Join us on Facebook and Twitter!

We try connecting to friends and loved ones using written correspondence. Marc is a big baby about it, and Julie goes overboard. Learn about the history and science of letter writing! Visit and connect with us: http://wagonpod.com https://www.facebook.com/wagonpod/ https://twitter.com/wagonpod Hear Julie's other show (The Meddling Kids Podcast)! Read about one of Julie's studies on "Caring Letters" And.... feel free to still send us mail! We'll write ya back! Station Wagon Podcast, c/o Julie Kinn 1001 Cooper Point SW Suite 140, PMB #369 Olympia, WA 98502 

Marc's kids take over the show for this minisode about giving up screens (TV, internet, video games, and computer).   Connect with us at: http://wagonpod.libsyn.com/ @Wagonpod https://www.facebook.com/wagonpod/  

Enjoy our latest foray into the science and history of things we take for granted. This time we focus on the ups, downs, and deliciousness of fried food and food cooked in oil. We then gave it up for a couple of weeks and nearly starved to death! Twitter: @Wagonpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wagonpod/

Are you right-handed or left? This month we dig into the history, culture, and science of handedness (and we give up using our dominant hands for a couple of weeks to see how much a mess we can make)! Thanks to: The Pleasure Kills for the music Modern Problems Planned Parenthood The UnMovies Podcast The Not Your Little Lady Podcast The Sometimes Geek Podcast    

We discuss the good and bad aspects of sugar in a regular diet, and then talk about what happens when we give it up. Highlights: Julie almost loses it when she finds out that Doritos contain sugar Marc doesn't understand how ice cream works We test out a new show format (less history, more science). Let us know what you think! [Julie here -- I dislike it... please vote in my favor for the return of history!]    

Julie and Marc attempt and fail, attempt again, and fail again to stop using filler words. You know, er, um, uh. Spoiler alert -- failure is a wonderful teacher as long as she doesn't smack one's knuckles when accidentally saying ‘um'.  

A mini ep all about other shows we love, including Varmints (http://www.blazingcariboustudios.com/shows/varmints/), the Troyer Show (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6RP7K9miZ1Rdrk8XH-06iw), Wine and Crime (https://wineandcrimepodcast.com/), and Julie's newest show, The Meddling Kids Podcast (http://meddlingkidspod.com)!

In this episode we talk about having good posture, and try it out for ourselves. We also take a journey through time with Princess Putrescence as she tries out ways to improve her posture. Spoiler Alert--One of us needed more help than the other.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Marc and Julie do their background research for The Station Wagon Podcast. Hear more episodes at http://wagonpod.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/wagonpod

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin In this episode do you think Julie and Marc have gained wisdom? Nope- we stopped drinking wine. Did they gain freedom? Nope, they stopped drinking beer. All that can be hoped for is that their water was clean and bacteria-free. Their bar is low.

"Humor is just another defense against the universe" - Mel Brooks So check it out. In this episode we give up humor, our usual defense against the universe. Instead we pick up flamethrowers and big guns ala Aliens - spoiler alert- humor would've been more effective. Here's some keywords that crop up during this episode: yucky, Hebrew, impulse control, and career limiting. Among all the great points to learn, here's one keynote from Julie: When you have something that happens that makes your family laugh, write it down, share it, and revisit. Remembering funny family events is better for improving relationship satisfaction than remembering “important” family events.

Here's a mini episode with more observations about putting down our phones during "down time." This time we benefit from the observations of Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum (Herzl-Ner Tamid congregation in Mercer Island, WA; http://h-nt.org). Hear more episodes at Wagonpod.com!

We explored the history and science of screen-time and then tried giving it up for two weeks.What's that mean? We gave up using our cellphones and other mobile devices to fill those unanticipated boring times we all have day-to-day. Some say this exercise is supposed to help a person be more mindful of their surroundings and contribute to relationship building. Spoiler -- Marc loves his cell phone. "If you leave your cell phone at home, you feel impacted by not having it. It's an important part of your daily function and what you can do in a day." - Aimee Mullins We couldn't agree more (at least Marc couldn't).

"Caffeine. The gateway drug." --Eddie Vedder Congratulations to us, we gave up caffeine and we are still alive. Marc didn't think this was possible especially since we are the guzzling the awful grey soup known as winter in the Pacific Northwest. Listen to us and decide for yourself if you can give it up too! Spoiler, one of did and is still off of it, the other one is a tool!

Julie and Marc are from Indiana where each person depends on a 36-inch circumference of personal space to maintain sanity. In this episode, the siblings get to have their wildest fantasy made real, expanding the 36-inches of space to infinity! That's right, they gave up all forms of touching. No high-fives, hugs, kisses, snogs, smooches, shoulder bumps, or shared-knee slaps.

Millions of Americans are allergic to peanuts. We gave up eating peanuts to try and walk a bit in their shoes and find out what it's like to go without this miracle legume. We talk about the history of peanuts, the science and psychology of having the allergy, and believe it or not, Julie gets 2 out of 3 questions right in our quiz.

How many times do you hit your snooze button in the morning? One? Four? 23? What about ZERO? That's how much we used it during this episode's field work. It is true we do not shy away from huge, life changing activities that force us to be mindful of our world and the impacts it has on us.

Yup. We gave up wearing pants. For some reason fans wanted us to do this, so we did. Not such a big deal for Julie except when she works out (and everyone knows exercise is bad for you). What are pants? What are not pants? Why do women wear skirts? What does Marc think about wearing a skirt for two weeks? Listen and find out.

We are a happy, cooing, gurgling one year old baby podcast! In this episode, we talk about our favorite episodes and the many experiments that have impacted our lives and the lives of those around us. We also get to hear wonderful greetings from some of our listeners!

Please stop what you are doing and give your garbage collector a big hug; leave them an unopened packet of Sprees or M&M's; buy her or him a $25 gift card at your local coffee shop; do anything you can to let him or her know you care for, respect, and love them. You need to do this to make up for us possibly putting several garbage collectors out of work during this episode. We tried to give up creating garbage. The dire impact of our effort likely had rippling repercussions to this incredible service that keeps our society running. Enjoy.

In this episode we gave up interrupting. We stopped, as best we could, throwing our conversation partners off their thought-tracks with our own questions and comments. As Covey says in Habit #5: "Seek first to understand, then be understood". Spoiler alert: we found that yelling is a great way to interrupt, but not so good at attaining that understanding part; who knew?

“Sometimes when I'm driving... on the road at night... I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car.” -Duane from “Annie Hall” In addition to driving head-on into other cars, there are many other habits we all have that make us unsafe drivers. In this episode, Julie and Marc tackle three (Julie tackles four) of these habits. We give up distracted driving by not touching or looking at our cellphones, following too closely by making sure we have at least two seconds of distance between our car and the car in front of us, and going over the speed limit. Spoiler alert: It was a great experience. We both experienced a sense of calm and mindfulness that was not previously there while we were driving. We also became imbued with a level of smugness that we previously attained only by committing sic burns on each other. And, oh yeah, we found out that Julie is that annoying driver you give the bird to.

In this episode, we gave up shaving. Marc gave up shaving his face, and you'll have to listen to find out what Julie gave up shaving. We talk about the history of various shaving practices, the social implications of shaving and not shaving, and whether the Puget Sound Area (i.e. Seattle and Olympia) is a sanctuary where body hair can live a long and prosperous life. Spoiler alert - one of us liked this experiment, the other turned into a porcupine (according to a 7-year old).

In this episode of the Station Wagon podcast, Marc and Julie give up eating excess calories. Spoiler alert: One of us loves this, the other is traumatized and has to come to a significant self-realization of her (ahem) own weaknesses.

In this episode we grew to appreciate our beds because we gave up sleeping on them, and any other, for two weeks. We talk about bed bugs, water beds, the first TV couple seen in a bed together, and much more. Spoiler Alert: One of us broke a toe during the production of this episode the other enjoyed sleeping on the floor. (p.s. We take our art very seriously.)

In this episode Julie and Marc give up listening to MUSIC. Julie does an ok, not perfect, job on the quiz. Marc talks about this history of music including the earliest found flute, and the date when Dark Side of the Moon was published. In science, Julie talks about the impact of Music on health. Spoiler Alert: Music is good. Listen to it.

In this episode we give up apologizing. Listen to this episode to get tips on how to give a non-apology (if you are an evil ratfink). Spoiler alert, among many other things, Julie apologizes on behalf of the weather, and Marc apologizes for his jittery Excel handling skills.

In this episode we gave up our good hearing. That's right, listen to us talk about how, for two weeks, we couldn't hear well. Spoiler alert: Ear plugs can be very itchy though fetching.

For the last two weeks we have not changed our clothes. Need I say more? How about, spoiler alert, one of us would recommend this and the other was mortified. Link to episode notes: http://www.wagonpod.com/2016/01/episode-12-giving-up-changing-our.html

It's true, and amazing: we gave up being sarcastic. This has been the most difficult challenge for us to pull off so far. Spoiler alert: One of us liked it, the other felt like a hollow, imploding shell of a person. Note: Feel free to sign up for one of our patented sarcasm reeducation programs today. (just kidding of course (not really though)).

Are you hangry for some sibling snark? Buckle up, get in the station wagon, and hear how we handled giving up scheduled meal times. Spoiler alert: One of us has a new food baby.

We got no complaints. Truly! We didn't have any for two weeks, and now you can find out how it went. Spoiler: One of us really liked it, the other is a whiney baby.

Giving up Gendered Pronouns. Yup – we did. (at least we tried). Spoiler alert (there's one he and one she in this podcast).

Eat your heart out James Bond - this is our 007th episode in which we give up our casual style and see what it's like to dress up all the time. Plot spoiler: one of us liked it, the other did not.