Always Here Podcast (January 23, 2026)

Episode: Mom gossip, cottage cheese, other trends we're not falling for – with the Abbys

Hosts: Abby Howard & Abby Howard
Podcast by: Daylight Media

Overview

This episode of "Always Here" with sister-in-laws Abby Howard and Abby Howard explores the joys and pitfalls of friendship groups, the recent drama among celebrity moms, and popular trends they refuse to embrace—from red light face masks to the great cottage cheese debate. The conversation is sprinkled with the hosts’ signature humor, honest life updates, and a deep sense of vulnerability about relationships, parenting, and community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life Updates & ‘Hope and Heart’ (02:00 - 08:30)

• Abby’s Disastrous Day: Abby shares a hectic day juggling kids, Bible study, gym plans, errands, and being locked out—twice.
  • "This day was just incredibly irresponsible. And I just. This is like so type B. If you were type A. I'm sorry for the sweats that this might cause you." (01:25)
• Hope and Heart Routine: The Abbys share one positive ("Hope") and one challenging ("Heart") moment of the week.
  • Abby finds joy hosting a shower, decorating, and seeing her baby sleep through the night for the first time.
  • Both note a slump in cooking at home, losing momentum on regular routines after constant events and holidays.

2. Mom Group and Celebrity Gossip Drama (09:00 - 25:00)

• Ashley Tisdale’s Viral Article: The hosts break down Ashley Tisdale’s essay about leaving her “toxic mom group”—believed to include Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor, and others.
  • "They were making plans without her. Then she text…the mom group and being, this is too high school for me. I'm done participating." (10:32)
• Fallout & Social Media Clashes: Hilary Duff’s husband responds with a mocking Instagram story, followed by Tisdale’s husband posting about “pausing to decide if it’s worth your energy.” The hosts reflect on how drama plays out differently in adulthood, especially online.
  • "When you're one of the most self-obsessed, tone-deaf person on earth, other moms tend to shift focus to their actual toddlers." – Quoting Hilary Duff’s husband's post mocking Ashley Tisdale (11:54)
• Realness of ‘Grownup’ Behavior: They reflect on how adulthood doesn’t eliminate drama or insecurities.
  • "There's actually no real grownups in the world." (14:37)
  • "Not everything needs to be a big conversation or needs to be stated." (15:35)

3. Navigating Mom Groups & Gossip (16:30 - 20:55)

• Complexities of Mom Friendships: The Abbys note challenges of group dynamics—side chats, parenting differences, judging or being judged, and the ever-present risk of gossip.
  • "The biggest trap that women...can fall into is the trap of, like, gossip. And that is something that it's like I constantly...know as soon as I walk away from things, I'm like, that maybe went a little too far..." (18:04)
• Value of Diverse Opinions: The hosts emphasize the importance of holding space for differing beliefs and not letting differences ruin friendships.
  • "We need to be able to hold both...they are a good friend and we view things differently. We actually need to view that as a good thing..." (22:07)
• Letting Go and Growing Up: Encouragement to move away from drama by quiet withdrawal rather than confrontation; realizing not every interpersonal misalignment is personal or dramatic.

4. Friend Group Archetypes (26:10 - 29:54)

• Viral Friend Group ‘Diagram’: Discussion of the “four friend types” video by Pete Ballmer, mapping friends on a grid by how much they plan things or flake.
  • Captains: Plan a lot but flake often.
  • Fruit Flies: Don’t plan, are flaky, just pop in and out.
  • Golden Retrievers: Don’t plan, never flake (Abby H’s confessed type).
  • Bees: Plan a lot, show up, sometimes hard-nosed but organize everything (Other Abby’s type).
  • "You will always be there. It doesn't matter how late...I'll be late, but I'll be there." (28:10)
• Self-Reflection: The hosts laugh over which type their husbands are, the perils of lateness and overthinking, and what excuses are (or aren’t) acceptable for flaking.

5. Trends They’re Not Falling For (37:14 - 63:00)

Each trend is introduced with warmth, and they invite listeners not to take offense.

• Red Light Therapy Masks (39:44)
  • "You are telling me that some rando company put Christmas lights in a face mask and that's going to reverse your wrinkles? I do not think so. Your cells aren't doing nothing in there. That is a scam. You've been scammed." (39:44)
• Labubus Charms on Designer Bags (41:38)
  • Surprise at grown women hanging toy charms from high-end purses.
• Pimple Patches as Fashion (45:35)
  • "I didn't think a thing about your pimple until you put that patch on it. And now I’m like, that's nasty." (46:02)
• Cottage Cheese in Everything (46:28)
  • "Quit putting your cottage cheese in everything…Stop blending it. It's not a good texture. I tried it. It's a lie." (46:33)
• Pay It Forward Chains (48:13)
  • “You can’t be the one that ends the pay it forward train because you are then a bad person. And you know what? The people behind us ordered mediums.” (49:03)
• AI and ChatGPT (50:02)
  • "AI is for men." (50:13)
  • "It gases you up so much… It's like, what a wonderful idea. Caleb, shut up." (51:15)
  • They laugh about husbands talking to AI and reveal a preference for stories and nuance over quick summaries.
• Fake Freckles (54:00)
  • "I've always been jealous of freckles. You have the cutest freckles…I’m not painting them on my face." (54:13)
• Man-Hating as a Trend (54:50)
  • "Discriminating against an entire gender because you had a bad experience with one is still discrimination. Even if it's men." (55:03)
  • They emphasize the damage done by broad negative statements and advocate for positivity towards both genders.
• Pilates as the Ultimate Workout (58:31)
  • Abby confesses boredom with Pilates despite its trendiness; they agree it's not a must-try for everyone.
• Laminated/Electric Brows (60:27)
  • They draw the line at “electrocution eyebrows” and reflect on shifting trends in brow styles:
  • "The whole point of makeup is to accentuate the natural beauty of your face and your features. And so when they go straight up, shellacked straight up, it's not looking like an eyebrow anymore to me." (61:20)

6. Listener Questions (63:19 – 69:21)

(Advice Segment: "Ask Abby")

• Hosting Tips: Don’t worry about being perfect; it’s about the company, not the condition of your house or an Instagram-ready event.
  • “My advice is, like, don't worry about perfection. Like, my house will be messy. Straight up messy. And we're still having people over.” (63:37)
• Navigating Disconnect with a Spouse: They recommend voicing feelings, scheduling intentional quality time, and going “above and beyond” for a few weeks to reset connection.
• How to Unwind: Abby loves ice cream with chocolate shell; other Abby unwinds with a book, tea, and library music in her “special” spot, away from screens; both caution against doom-scrolling.

Memorable Quotes

• "There's actually no real grownups in the world." – Abby (14:37)
• "Not everything needs to be a big conversation or needs to be stated… Just remove yourself." – Abby (15:35)
• "The biggest trap that women...can fall into is the trap of, like, gossip." – Abby (18:04)
• "You are telling me that some rando company put Christmas lights in a face mask and that's going to reverse your wrinkles? I do not think so. Your cells aren't doing nothing in there. That is a scam. You've been scammed." – Abby (39:44)
• "AI is for men." – Abby (50:13)
• “Discriminating against an entire gender because you had a bad experience with one is still discrimination. Even if it's men.” – Abby (55:03)
• "Both things can be true. Women are awesome and men are awesome." – Abby (57:17)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Life Updates/Hope & Heart: 01:20 – 08:30
• Celebrity Mom Group Drama: 09:00 – 16:30
• Navigating Adult Friendships & Mom Groups: 16:30 – 20:55
• Friend Group Types: 26:10 – 29:54
• Trends We're Not Falling For: 37:14 – 63:00
• Listener Q&A ("Ask Abby"): 63:19 – 69:21

Tone and Takeaways

The tone throughout is warm, self-deprecating, and inviting—models of vulnerability and playful banter. The Abbys manage to skewer popular trends and gossip culture with humor and candor, all while underscoring the lessons of grace, non-judgment, and facing the "hope and the hard" with both heart and humility.

For more, listen to Always Here wherever you get your podcasts, and call in with your own questions—the Abbys are always here.