Episode 43: Post-Christmas Catch Up

Welcome back after our Christmas break! We’re so excited to be back and chatting about all things important and inconsequential. This week’s episode is just a simple catch up about our favourite meals, moments and gifts from the holiday season.

Under favourite meals, Gabby mentioned The Wildfowler Inn which we recommend if you’re ever in Northern Ireland. And Mel talked about enjoying Neighbourhood Cafe in Belfast.

Under favourite gifts Mel mentioned Stories perfume (specifically Stories No. 2). Gabby mentioned her robe from Kindred of Ireland. We also mention Brené Brown’s new book Atlas of the Heart.

Gabby mentions watching a lot of a UK reality TV show called Come Dine With Me— check it out if you think it sounds fun!

As for this coming year, we’re going to be inviting a few guests to be on the show and we’re super excited about that. If you have a suggestion of someone you’d like to hear from email us at hello@makinganeffortpodcast.com or just shoot us a DM!

Can’t wait for another year of Making An Effort!

>>> Click here to read the computer generated transcript (note that the transcript isn't perfect)

Gabby: Welcome to the making an effort podcast, the podcast where you get to sit in on a conversation between two friends, discussing all the things they make an effort with and some of the things they don't, and I'm Gabby.

Mel: And a Mel. Hi,

Gabby: and welcome back. We're back. We're back. We're back. We are

Mel: back. Oh, and it feels, I was just saying to Gabby before we hit record, it feels like such a mind melt that. Like this time, five days ago, we were having lunch together and I here in Nashville on the screen, again,

Gabby: back in my basement,

Mel: back in the basement. And it just feels really surreal that we spent so much time together over the holidays. And then now we're back to our online relationship. And I know here we are reporting, we are

Gabby: back in the wagon

Mel: and the wagon. Um, we

Gabby: both have snow days, which is very exciting.

Mel: We woke up to snow today, which is cool. I mean, the sun is out. No. So it's not going to last very long, I don't think. But, uh, that was very exciting for everybody in our house to wake up to snow. It's very magical. And you have a winter Wonderland. Can we do Gabby: record breaking amount of snow? Is that right? Well, for this time of year, anyway, I, I want, I'm not going to go into like a super boring, like history of Tennessee weather, but we have six and a half inches and everything is closed down. And I'm just so grateful that we went and got groceries who, the day before , before it snowed, because we have definitely been that situation where. We didn't have groceries. And when that happened, last time, I literally sent Chris with like a massive hiking backpack to walk to the grocery store and back. And he was like

Mel: some sort of CrossFit challenge did.

Gabby: Yeah, he did. He was like, this is like Murph and it was so hard. Like it was really.

Mel: Oh

Gabby: boy. Yeah. And thankfully we didn't have to do that again. So we're just supplies that supplies where we're snugged up and cozy and yeah, we're recording, making an effort. Here we go. Yeah. Mel: So, um, we, we wanted to just have a casual catch up today. Talk about her, our brick, what we've been up to, um, um, Maybe a little bit of things that we might like to see happen here in the podcast this year.

Gabby: Um, team meeting you're

Mel: involved. Yeah. Yeah. You're sitting in on a team maiden. Um, so I thought we could maybe talk about some of the best things from over the break. So what was your best day, your best mail, your best gift that you received? Memory, all

Gabby: that kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Um, what, well, let's, let's start with meal that feels really accessible and easy. Um, my best meal was definitely a Christmas dinner that I had at the wild valor. So if you're an American listening to this in the UK, there's this incredible, phenomenal. That I wish existed here. So, uh, a Christmas dinner in the UK, it is very similar to our Thanksgiving dinner. You have a Turkey, you have some ham, you have roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast, vege, gravy stuffing. And then usually there'll be like, like if you're at someone's home, there'll be like sausages and like cranberry sauce and all of that fun stuff as well. But throughout the whole month of December, which this does not have. The U S that I'm aware of any like pub or like neighborhood establishment that you could go to we'll offer a Christmas day. To order as part of the menu. It's like part of a seasonal menu to me

Mel: that this is like having to be explained. I know,

Gabby: I know I like Americans, like their minds will be blown. It's like, imagine like for us to be the equivalent of like walking into any neighborhood eatery in November and being able to order a Thanksgiving dinner in honor of Thanksgiving. Um, so it's so fun and it's so festive and Chris, when he. Was, I don't know, before we got married and even actually one year when we were married, he usually tries to like set a record of how many Christmas dinners he can eat leading up to Christmas. And I think his record was 20, which if you think about there's 25 days anyway, We have this incredible pub, just down the road from our house in Northern Ireland, in gray Abbey called the wild Fowler. And I will shout it out because I think anyone who can go there, shit, it's this little cozy, like picturesque pub. And we go there every time. It was one of the first places. Actually the night I landed when Chris and I were dating, um, in Northern Ireland, we like dropped off my bags. And we went to the wild follower and we got fish and chips. And so it says a ton of memories for us, but they did a Christmas dinner and it was amazing. It was so good. Um, and it's just so classic, so tasty and yeah, I think that was my, we didn't do a ton of eating out this time around because of COVID, but I think that was definitely one of my favorite meals for sure. What about you?

Mel: I'm going to say like, it would be really. Unfair to, to not mention Christmas dinner. My sister-in-law absolutely crushed it. She did such a good job first time ever hosted Christmas. So she just had everything thought through. She just, yeah, she really smashed it. Um, but I was going to actually talk about the lunch that we had after a photo shoot that day. Yeah. Because. Oh, my goodness. So we went to the neighborhood cafe and Belfast, which is a new coffee shop com cafe restaurant type thing. Um, and we ha we, we both wanted the same things to between two different dishes. Always happens to us by the way. And it's just actually, it's, it's great because it means that you order one, I order one and then we have it and we get to have two different tries. So there was this like whipped feta was that was fat or I was ricotta.

Gabby: Are you thinking the mushroom product toast? Yeah. So there was like a ricotta toast with mushrooms on top, which was so good. Sorry, I'm running. If I take time, not, I don't want to take this up. You keep talking though. Cause I love your associates so forth. So the only reason I'm like really laughing about this is because we kind of had before we got seated, we had to wait a minute, um, before for our table to be open. And we were sitting next to this elderly, like older couple and the woman. I was like having a bit of a laugh at like a very good natured one because the woman was like painstakingly scraping her fork down the plate of this like ricotta toast situation. And like, she, it was just shot. You could tell, like if she had been home, she would have been licking that plate 100%. And I like, I was really giggling. And so then obviously we got it and it was like, now I understand. I also want to lick this plate.

Mel: Well, we got to, we got to the end of the plate being like the toast was gone. Like this substantial bits of food were gone and there was this like ricotta it's this like whipped ricotta thing left. And I was like, this will not do I am. I'm asking for more bread. Yeah. And that's not actually something that you do very often in Northern Ireland. That is definitely an American yeah. Um, benefit. They, they are liberal with their breads.

Gabby: Right. You can always ask for like a, a refill in the states.

Mel: That's like very, not so much. That's not so much the standard here. And so when I called the girl over and I was like, could I get a bit more Sarto for this? She kind of looked at me like, Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was, I was willing to pay for it, but I didn't have to shout out to neighborhood cafe for giving me extra bad bread. I can, I can actually confirm that they will do that for you, but I was ballsy enough to ask for it because that debt needed, that debt needed finished.

Gabby: So it was really good. I had a dirty. Because I'm basically like that. And it was insane. It was very good.

Mel: Yeah. So that was my, that was like, um, mainly because we don't, we haven't been anywhere really. The only times that I've been out to eat have been with you over the last couple of weeks. Yeah. Yeah. And we went to coffee and had lunch. They're trough. They're like deep fried truffle, honey fatter. Oh my days. Yeah, those are good. Those are so good. Um, okay. So food, uh, best gift that you received.

Gabby: Ooh. Ah, why don't you go first this time.

Mel: Okay. Um, oh, do you know? I didn't tell you this actually. Um, so. When we were, when we were doing our, like, make an effort, Photoshop shape the project, um, AMA who owns the studio that we were in, um, Kendra of Ireland is her clothes and breath. I mean, we were just completely blown away by her clothes and she let us wear them and, uh, pictures taken in her studio and everything. And she was amazing. She was there to, in some work. Um, but she like kind of came in at night to see us and her arms and she just smelled so good, so good. And she smelled like the perf this perfume that been. I have a sample of like a year or two ago, um, captain tended to buy it, um, by a local, uh, local, uh, Like I was going to say make her, but she doesn't make the perfume, but it's her brand called stories. And Amy was wearing stories. Number two, it's called to number one and number six. So she's wearing number two and I was just like, oh, I recognize that smell is so good. So then the day before, two days before Christmas, my dad, my dad arrived in. Um, it's like going up to Belfast. What do you want for Christmas?

Gabby: You're like, I know, but I was like Christmas,

Mel: like, this is, yeah, this is really, this feels heartfelt. Um, And I was like, well, there's just perfume and as totally afraid to buy it online, but I know that there's a place on the less burn road that stocks up. So just saying like, you know, get another option. Anyway, I got a voucher for that perfume for Christmas. So I'm really excited to get that on my

Gabby: now you're going to smell like stories. Number two. Insane.

Mel: Yeah, we'll delicious. We should link a bunch of these places and products and stuff in our show notes. Um, so I got that and then I got some airports, so that's a good, that was a good show. That's a good one. Um, and I'm sure, I'm sure I got some other things that are important. I got a bunch of candles, you know, I love a candle. Yeah. Um, Yeah. What about you?

Gabby: Um, well, I got, I was pretty, pretty satisfied with my hall this year. So I have been toying around with the idea of wanting to just take more videos of our family. Um, just because I feel like I take all these pictures on my phone cause I'm a documenter. Um, and then I don't do anything with them and I. I like, I know, I know people like print books and whatever, but that has never really felt like my thing for whatever reason. Um, and so I have just really loved the idea of not, I'm not, I'm not trying to be a blogger, although I am blogging. Um, I'm not trying to change the world with my blog, but I am trying to do. Take my camera out with me and like document video of our family, doing things, um, in our day-to-day lives so that we can watch them back. Like I know our, our family home videos, like of us kids growing up. I think we have like two, we don't have very many of them, but we watched the. Until like the tape, you know, disintegrated. And so I just, I just think it's nice. And so I asked for a camera for Christmas and I got one. Um, and I got it a little bit early and I was able to take it to Northern Ireland with us. Take some videos and

Mel: well, I loved your little blogs over Christmas. That was nice.

Gabby: Yeah. It was just like, you know, I just wanted to like, And I want to continue to kind of commemorate some of the days that we have together as a family and be able to look back on them. And, and because I'm an anagram for, of course there has to be like moody music and you know, all of that stuff. I have to do it my way.

Mel: I mean, I actually took the piss out of Gabby, um, when I saw her, because I'd watched one of her. One of her blogs and there was a nice screen. I screen screenshot this moment where she's like on the beach and the caption on the vlog was like, it was so great and so beautiful. And I was like, if ever there is a for like nostalgic melancholy moment, that was it. That just like totally surmised your knee. Yeah. A fairly failing.

Gabby: Yep. That's basically what I'm here for. I mean, I just love any kind of long form storytelling, so like, Videos, you know, writing anything like that really captures my heart. And, um, yeah, so I got that and I also, uh, so during our photo shoot that we did at kindred of Ireland, uh, where he got to wear all these amazing, amazing clothes, um, I put on and you'll probably see it cause we'll probably post some photos eventually. Um, A blue house robe.

Mel: Shut up. Did you get it? I got it. Okay. Cause I text Chris and told him

Gabby: no, he never replied. So was expecting me to tell you like, oh my gosh, look what I got.

Mel: I texted him that like, oh, like before I left. Oh, fuck that day. I was like just a heads up. Gabby fell in love with this robe man, Keisha come to get, or something sent them the link, but maybe you told them to G well, I,

Gabby: I didn't tell him like, oh my gosh, I want this robe because I had already gotten a camera, which was very generous. Um, and so I was just like, oh my gosh, I tried this robot. And it was so magical and just flowy and electric blue, which is like, so. Me and like what I would normally think of as me, but I just loved it so much and I kept talking about it and then he was like, we were in Belfast one day. He was like, all right, where's this kindred place.

Mel: And so you went up and got it there. Yeah. We talked about this.

Gabby: I don't know. I like, I w that time in Northern Ireland was such a blur for me, just a family and the holidays. And so I'm sure I let, let some stuff fall through the cracks, but yeah. Um, so

Mel: those are also, you also got me a really thoughtful gift. It was like the most Mel gift ever. So I put like, what, four months ago you was

Gabby: not even, it was like November.

Mel: It was

Gabby: before that shirt.

Mel: Anyway, you went on taking, um, you brought our Marco polo group along with you and showed us like the sound take shop in Nashville. And I replied with like, oh my goodness, look at that bowl. You need to get that bowl. So it was just like fruit bowl type thing. Um, anyway, your woman hair. Bought the fruit bowl for me and brought it with

Gabby: her. I was so afraid it was gonna break on the way over. It's

Mel: so beautiful. And that was just, it was so thoughtful. And I got the new brand Brene Brown book from you as well, which is just so so nice and hilarious because nobody bought me that for Christmas.

Gabby: I can't believe that because I was like, oh, she's going to have it all ready. I'll just like tell her she can like give it to someone pass along the gift, but I'll just get it for her.

Mel: I couldn't believe. I actually couldn't believe that nobody had got it for me, because I was like, I'm not going to buy this. This is a no brainer gift for somebody like, uh, certainly like my husband or my brother would get, like I assumed my brother was going to get it for me. Um, and nobody did. And I was like, oh, okay. And then you did. And that was so nice. And so soulful,

Gabby: well, you know, you're my Brenae brown, so.

Mel: Oh, right. That's so kill. I'm going to see you in that room. Next time we record.

Gabby: Well, I will almost wear it today and then it was, I still haven't unpacked my suitcase. Yeah. Spring, summer

Mel: robe, I think. Cause it's it's linen, so it's quite light. So,

Gabby: um, what actually really sold. Okay. I'm only going on a tangent here, but what really sold me on it was because I'm not normally like. Typically, I don't wear a lot of linen. Let me just say that. And I. Well, it was so cold in that, uh, studio, the day we were shooting, because we were like the first ones there on a Sunday morning or whatever. Um, and the place didn't have a time at time to heat up, but we have put on that robe and I was so warm and I was like, okay, but it was like the reasonable. And it was like, you know, I didn't feel stuffy. It was just perfect. It was literally the perfect rope. And so I was like, you know what? This is, this is a good. This is a good piece of clothing, so, well, you have so

Mel: much fun out there, or my goodness. It was like a same country and yeah, we will show you guys some of those photos, if he, if he give a shit, like maybe we're the only ones that give a shit, but I just loved it. I just love getting to like dress up and hang out with you. And Rachel who took our photos. Who's. Sweetheart. And she did great. She is so good. And yeah, and it was just so nice. We eat the most delicious, delicious treat. What was that

Gabby: orange, orange, like, it wasn't a cinnamon roll, but it was like, like a cinnamon roll, but it was like, please, yes, sticky bun. And we got it from established. Um, and they were so good that it was like literally one of the best pastries I've ever had. Delicious

Mel: anyway, anyway. Okay. So we've done best gifts or just general gifts and we've done meals. What else? I found my memory. You might've seen this. I mean, you did. And we talked about this, but I don't. What else? Who like watches? My Instagram stories will have seen that on Christmas day. My mother and my mother-in-law give light. Oh my gosh. Give these gifts. Um, she basically. If, you know, my mother-in-law, she is honestly, she's just one of my favorite people ever, which not everyone can say about their in-laws. Um, and she is, she doesn't know that she's funny and she is, she can be totally random and, but she is the most loving, generous person. Anyway, she was given a gifts and. Like everyone was open. And my brother-in-law Gary opened his and in his gift amongst other things was this tie and it was in the pocket and it was like a novelty tie. Um, and all you could see on the, like, through the pocket, the way it was folded was. Kiss me under the mistletoe. It's sad. And there was a little, you could see a bit of the mistletoe on the tie. And so you're like, ah, and then he took the tire out of the pocket and realized that at the bottom of the tie is like an arrow pointing down. To your crotch.

Gabby: Right?

Mel: So we just started Harlan with laughter. Oh my God. My mother-in-law was laughing tape, but she didn't get why we were laughing. She hadn't, she hadn't actually colluded to the joke that she had, that she had given her. Son-in-law. And her son on my brother who was also there, they all got the same pie from her. And so all of these times said, kiss me Soto with an arrow pointing to their payments. She obviously she didn't know that they were like explicit. Um, and that way. And so she was kind of laughing thinking, oh, kissing, like she thought that was like risky. Didn't quite realize until we made the boys put the ties on and then she got it. And she was absolutely mortified. She was just mad. It's so funny. I'm absolutely our heads off a bite that, um, for the rest of the night, like we just kept bursting into laughter bite out. Um, and the funniest of it all. We were like, where did you get them? She says, I got them in the charity shop, which is her charity. They own this charity shop and she picked them up there and I was like, okay. It's like a Christian run charity shop.

Gabby: Imagine them off at the charity shop. And being like, did they take the ties? Yeah, I guess they took the chais.

Mel: Yeah, I guess they did. I guess they're not that Christian. Yeah. Oh my goodness. It was really, really funny. So that was good. And our Christmas day was just so lovely. Like it was just food and wine. The kids just love playing with her cousins and they did a little talent show. And I just think that's always really sweet whenever,

Gabby: you know, I love when kids do that, I was always making my parents watch me do stuff like the dumbest stuff,

Mel: spice girls, man. My cousin used to do spice girls renditions, you know, we would dress up. Ginger or baby, you know, saying to become one whole, those super child appropriate songs. And so for Rafa or parents sitting there like, oh boy, oh my gosh. Yeah. What about you? Okay. Have a, a day or a moment sticks out from the last

Gabby: couple of weeks. Christmas day was so special. You know, it was very low key. Um, Very chilled out. It was, we went over to, I would just say like, my sister-in-law really opened her home to the whole family, this whole holiday season, because she had, I mean, she always does. It's not like it's out of the ordinary, but just like, there were three days in a row, like Christmas Eve, Christmas day and boxing day where. We were over there like three days in a row just with food and the kids were playing everywhere and drinks and you know, games. And it was just really lovely. I would say that was definitely the highlight for me, is getting to be together. Um, Danny. I actually just really struggled on this trip, like with the transition being overseas. Cause we haven't traveled with him at all, really for like over a year. Um, so I think that was a little bit jarring for him. It took him a real, I don't know, like a real week and a half to two weeks to really kind of get settled. And by that time we were like getting ready to leave again. So we didn't really do. We had a lot of plans. You know, we're going to go up to the north coast and, you know, do more stuff, see more people. Um, but we ended up just having a really chill time in Northern Ireland, which is probably what we needed. I think, um, one of the things that was very. Again, like not culture shock in a bad way, but just so different. So here in the states is like, you guys just take so many days off around the Christmas holiday. Like it's a good, I think it's a really good thing. Um, but like, you know, in the states it's like, we're like, you can go to some Starbucks on Christmas day and there'll be open, you know, like at 6:00 AM. Um, and. Day after Christmas, forget about it. Like everything's back to normal. Um, it's just, you kind of lose a little bit of like the slow, like everyone's not in holiday mode vibe that you get in Northern Ireland and. Um, Chris and I like, at times, like we were frustrated with it, cause we were like, oh, we're just trying to get out and do stuff and everything's closed. But when we like really kind of took a step back, we were like, this is so good. Like we are so used to just kind of going, going, going, but that's kind of how you create a culture that is slower and values rest and values. You know, family is kind of having these forced times off, even when you're kind of ready to get back at it, but you can't because everything's still closed. Um, so that was like, that was interesting in a good way. Um, but yeah, I don't know that really stuck with me and I think. Because by the end of our time there, I was definitely like, I wasn't ready to leave family and friends, but I was definitely ready to get back to like routine and schedule, um, and really just itching for that. And I couldn't couldn't do it and I couldn't even, yeah, I don't know. I just thought it was a good change of pace. Uh, even though I found it a little uncomfortable, I still thought it was really good. So yeah. Yeah. That's that's what I've got.

Mel: That's good. Yeah, it is. I mean, everything does really does really take a, a real texts and notch dine over Christmas. Like it's most people, most people obviously not essential. Yeah. Workers and stuff like that. For sure. For sure. Take a good week, week and a half, you know, maybe two weeks off. Yeah, I find it. I find it really, it was Dave and I both said like, this has been a really relaxing Christmas. We haven't been run on a rind. I find the lead up to Christmas in some ways. Um, just quite like emotionally intense this year. So I don't even know if we've podcasted since, but like, my dad got married just like at the beginning of December. I can't remember if we, or we podcasts

Gabby: have, I don't know. It was our last one was like the Tuesday before he got married.

Mel: Okay. Yeah. So that happened, which was gorgeous. It was such a beautiful day. Um, You know, but obviously, you know, when my dog get married again, it brings up lots of stuff, grief, and, and those, and, you know, everybody's aware that that's a present emotion, um, alongside joy and like, yeah, real love, real, a real sense of love. So we had, we had such a beautiful day celebrating him and Helen, his new wife. But there was a lot, a lot emotionally and physically in the lead up to that. And of course we also in the lead up to that at the same time or moving my dad out of his house. And, um, he moved in with us for a week or so. Um, yeah, that's just, those are all really, really big things. I think that, that, that took its toll in the lead up to Christmas. And I was experiencing some anxiety just before Christmas. It was really my anxiety. Right before Christmas. I remember that. Oh, it really was. I was just, and I think it's hormonal. I'm getting all things, all things checked out at the minute. Um, I had a little bit of vertigo that accompanied us that was new. And so I'm like, I've picked my eye appointment. I'm going to get some blood work done. I'm taking some supplements. And what else did I say I was going to do? I can't remember. I said I was going to do something else anyway. So all of that made me so, so glad that we had an extended amount of time yeah. Off with no plans, like really, and truly no plans for the rest of us. It was so, so nice. Um, so there's just a lot of days of like really just stand in our jammies and yeah. You know, like not knowing what to ate. I find that like a really weird. Um, yeah. Remember that being such a prominent feeling in years gone by, but this year I was just like, after Christmas and boxing day, I was like, what are we eight? Yeah. It it's weird to cook a meal. What is, I know, I know, but yeah, that's the, yeah. That's why I was glad for that, that couple of weeks off. Um, Just arrest. And I find it like even just this week. So this is Friday that we're recording this, and this has been my first week back to work on. Um, I kind of phased in gently this week. I didn't have loads in those, in the diary, but, um, even just the anticipation of coming back to work, I was a bit like, oh, I don't really know what I feel about this. This is yeah. Yeah. It's weird. Um, But, yeah, that's, that's kind of the, my general feeling about that time period after

Gabby: Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. It's all kind of mushy and restful and blurry and yeah.

Mel: Do you remember last year when we first started the podcast, like one of our first episodes was about like, Our intentions and like

Gabby: I do I remember why are you laughing?

Mel: Oh, just so funny. It is funny. Like I know, I know,

Gabby: I know. I don't. Well, what else, what else did he say? I said I was going to read more instead of watch TV and I would say. That I have read more, but I've also watched TV, so,

Mel: oh, that's what I wanted to know actually, before we just go down the path of shaming ourselves for not. Yes. Um, let's not do that. Uh, did you watch anything good? This, this Christmas? Did you watch any. I mean repaid, if anything, or anything that you just really loved?

Gabby: We didn't do a ton of, we didn't do it. Like we watched a ton of come dine with me. I like, which I know you always laugh at me for it, but it's like the, the most UK show. Have I liked, have I explained, come dine with me the premise of it on this podcast before? Cause I feel like I have, but maybe it was just on the Marco polo. So basically come down with me for Americans. It's this reality TV show that. All only watched in the UK when we're there, but it is worth looking up if this sounds interesting. So the premise is five strangers kind of get put together and they are all competing for a thousand pounds and the way they can win that a thousand pounds is by putting on the best dinner parties. For the next five days over the course of a week, they all eat at someone's house and, and they are the host of that night. So, and then they all rate that night and whoever has the highest score wins the thousand pounds. So they prepare a menu. They

Mel: prepare entertainments.

Gabby: Yes. So it's yes. If you like to entertain and you like to host, it is a very entertaining show to watch because some people are. Crazy outlandish. Some people have some really thoughtful menus where you're like, yes, I would totally eat that. Like, if you like to talk about food, this is a show for you is a good one. Yeah, because. Yeah, it's all of that stuff. It's basically what happens when, you know, you throw like, when you go to a dinner party in real life and you're like, Ooh, like the mushrooms are really good, but I don't know about the wine or, you know, like whatever. Um,

Mel: I can get really vicious sometimes as well. Like there's

Gabby: just really clash on it, right? Yes. Well, because they're strangers, so they're not like a group of friends hosting. It's like strangers coming together, getting to know each other for the first time. Um, Over these dinner parties. And also there's a competition element. So like sometimes people are just mean for the sake of it and like judgy for the sake of it, but it does kind of bring a little entertainment value for sure. Uh, so we watched condign with me and then actually on the flight, back from the UK, I finally. Watched bear of east town. Oh, HBO show. And I loved it. It was so good. I'm like a little bit late to the party there. Um, but it was

Mel: you haven't actually, I don't know if you've been on. The Marco

Gabby: Polo's and a little

Mel: bit. Yeah. But, um, last night Michelle came on. Okay. Want to say, she's like, guys, I've just watched the tiger king and I cannot, I cannot believe this show. I was like a jaw dropping bizarre, but captivating thing I've ever seen. Have you guys seen it? And I was like, yeah. During the first lockdown more

Gabby: money. Yeah. I wasn't

Mel: there to shame me. I was like, come on. You're like two years behind. Don't come in, looking for tiger king enthusiasm two years later. Okay. No, that's not. Okay. So then I was just like rubbing her. I was like, Hey Michelle, I've just watched the. Really funny show. I think you like it. It's called France. Oh my God. Anyway, that's just because you're saying like, if you think yearly at what to watch and marathons,

Gabby: I'm not that late, but yes, I loved

Mel: it. I felt like it was literally the twisty easiest show. I'd say it in such a long time that I had like up until. The second before the credits roads. I had no idea if this is what was going to happen or not like yeah. You know, you're spoilers obviously, but I just, yeah, you were just come. Yeah. You were taken and every direction the whole time. Yeah. And I did not see a lot of it

Gabby: coming. Yeah. Uh, I think what I really appreciate about HBO shows in general is like, they feel really literary to me. Like they, I like that they. Really invest in like character development and like giving you background on relationships and story, and like really just building like the layers of story so that you can kind of, it feels more like you're reading a book, a lot of their shows do. Um, but including this one, it feels more like you're reading a book than you are watching a TV. To me anyway. Yeah. Um, and like the symbolism and like how mayor, even though it's spelled differently than the French word for mother, like is the mayor is like French for mother and like mayor of the town. Like, it's just like all of these lists symbolism. It's so good. And like all the themes of motherhood. Okay. I'm going to stop, but it's really good if you haven't watched it yet. Um, you definitely should. Yeah.

Mel: Excellent. What does she want? Oh, I mean, you know, I, I am on, ashamedly a real TV junkie. Like I just love a good series. Um, what if I've been watching? Okay. So I watched Emily in Paris the second season, uh, which was fine. Um, I have obviously been watching the reboot of sex in the city, which I have thoughts on. Um,

Gabby: I stopped after episode two. I couldn't get past.

Mel: Yeah, no spoilers. Nope. Yeah. I know what you mean. Anyway. I'm not going to get into that because that would be that's a whole episode. Um, Right. And I, I I'm almost finished the newest season of queer eye is I think they're best yet. Really? Oh yeah. Like those boys, like I know, I just honestly. Can I get enough of it? I just feel like, yeah, it's, you know, sometimes I'm like, oh, it's the same thing. Every time, you know, they do the same kind of, you know, the haircuts and the clothes and the heists and the, but this felt like it was, it definitely had a different, I don't know if it's just everything that's happened in the last couple of years. And this is a like post. Beginning of COVID like, it's a series that was recorded obviously, like, since COVID started so references to that stuff, but it really just celebrated so many people like the people who were the, you know, the, the episodes where at byte really felt like they were just really relatable people. They didn't have, like, we were talking about this the other day, just. Like, they're not these people with these like absolutely devastating stories or something, you know, these like extreme, but just people who are trying to get by with loss

Gabby: or,

Mel: you know, like. People who have invested in their community so much, or I feel like every episode has just been so gorgeous. The other thing that I have mentioned to you, a friend of ours as well, that's watching it too. Had I had said what I really noticed the season was so much consent in that show that I've, maybe they have been doing that for a long time, but I don't know if I just really picked up on it, but just, you know, like that. But always ask the people, the people that they're working with. Like, do you mind if I, um, go in here, do you mind if I touch your hair? You know, especially for like, they had, um, like a black woman, um, before they like went all in on, like, do you mind if I take off your way? Like, could you mind if I say, or do you mind if I, um, Open the drawer, you know, just so much consent. I just thought that was really gorgeous. Like, do you mind if I see like your, what your closet looks like? I don't know. There's just something about it that felt quite significantly yeah. More considerate of those things than I've ever noticed before. And I just, I just really, really love those guys. Yeah.

Gabby: They're so

Mel: wonderful. They're so sweet. Um, yeah, I'm really genuine on. I just think that they do wonderful stuff from people, not just the people that they are connecting with in each episode, but I just feel like it's a rep. It rep it gives a representation for a lot of people who don't, who don't ever feel represented.

Gabby: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. It's such a good show. I watched the first two episodes, um, and I have yet to finish the season, but it's a good one. I've missed those guys. I know. I feel like we really needed them in 20, into

Mel: 2020 and

Gabby: 21. And, you know, obviously they couldn't do what they were doing for obvious reasons, but. I'm really glad they're back.

Mel: Cm, cm, city, Sam. That's what we need. The filed five. Yep. Oh, well the son, I would, we're going to wrap it up, but just before we day, um, gaps, I wondered if you had any hopes for the podcast this year, what would you love to see happen and to see us kind of, so.

Gabby: Yeah, Mel and I, we, um, got lunch before I left town this last week and, uh, just kind of talked through some podcast stuff and I mean, I'm really excited for this year. I feel like we've kind of hit our stride, um, and so many ways, but one of the things I think we're going to try and do, um, and we're working on this. I can't fully speak it to how it's going to look yet, but, uh, we're going to be inviting a few more guests on the podcast. Just speak on topics that you know, we're not as, we're not experts on, not that we're experts on anything really. I'm not claiming that, uh, you know, just people who have. Of like expertise in certain areas that you guys have expressed interest in or unique perspective on some exactly. Um, so that is going to probably happen this year, which I'm excited Mel: about. And if so, suggestions of people that you would love us to talk to, or if you're somebody that you think, oh, I'd love to bring this conversation to the podcast we would love to hear from you. So please do email us, um, hello@makinganeffortpodcast.com. Uh, or, or DMS on Instagram or whatever. Um, yeah, I'm excited about, we put a little list together of like dream guests and people that we thought would, we would love to have conversations. So S and therefore would hope that you would enjoy listening to those.

Gabby: So, yeah. And we've got some, some fun topics in mind as well. I think that are going to, uh, we're going to be inviting you, you all to speak into as usual, because it's always good to get like, uh, a variety of perspectives on some of these topics. Um, so that's, that's all still going to happen and I think it's going to be a good year. Uh, but I, before we go, I wanted to, um, So I was talking to my father-in-law while we were over in Northern Ireland and he was saying, you know, he's like, I actually like listened to your podcast as I'm falling asleep. Oh, and he was like, I just find it so comforting because it reminds me of like, you know, he's like, it reminds me of listening to my mom, talk with her friends in the kitchen or whatever, while I'm like playing in the living room. And it's just like this comforting, like, you know, two women just sharing their lives and just

Mel: made a little cry, a little. Oh, my gosh. That's like the best compliment.

Gabby: Oh, that's so I know I was just like, I just, yeah, I think my hope for this year is that, you know, we're not like trying to. Cha change the world or break anything down or whatever. But if we can just offer a little bit of comfort and comradery, I will feel like this podcast has served its purpose. And yeah,

Mel: I don't know. Yeah. It's been such a cool year, you know, experiment with this and getting to spend time with you and hear, and from so many people. It's so unbelievable that we've done. We've done this for a year.

Gabby: I know it's

Mel: amazing. And we've made lots of friends through it online. We hope to do more of that this year. Um, so thank you guys for sticking with us and sharing our podcast. And Hy-Ko was up in like December when all the Spotify on Ralph I do

Gabby: well, it blew my mind because I kind of forgot that we had a podcast that might, might appear on a Spotify and rap. I never, I never would have imagined that it would show up on anyone's rap. No offense, Mel, till when we, when we got tagged in a few. This is so special. Um, so thanks for, thanks for sharing. Thanks for listening. And, um, yeah, we really just feel like you guys are our friends, so, um, yeah.

Mel: Awesome. All right. Well, we will be back next week with more making an effort. Uh, so we'll see you then. Thanks everybody.