← CHEERS! with Avery Woods
CHEERS! with Avery Woods
finding joy | avery woods
00:49:57
Avery is back with a feel-good solo that’s all about the little things. The moments that make you smile. The stuff that doesn’t look big on paper but changes your whole day. From bedtime “I love yous” to being a carpool mom, and finding comfort in routine, Avery shares what’s bringing her joy right now. She also gets into mom friendships, marriage, small acts of love, comfort shows, and why you don’t need a huge win to feel happy. Plus, she reads what you said brings you joy too!
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- [00:01]
Avery Woods
I believe that American Idol can change.
- [00:02]
American Idol Announcer
My life for the better. ABC Monday. American Idol is back.
- [00:07]
Avery Woods
Why are you so emotional?
- [00:08]
Chime Advertiser
I didn't think I'd ever get to.
- [00:09]
Avery Woods
Be somewhere like this.
- [00:10]
American Idol Announcer
Where your vote turns dreamers. You ready for it? You're going to Hollywood, meet into idols. There it is the golden ticket.
- [00:21]
Avery Woods
You are inspiring. You're pretty incredible.
- [00:25]
American Idol Announcer
American Idol season premiere Monday, 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu this Valentine's Day.
- [00:31]
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- [01:00]
Avery Woods
Hi, welcome to Cheers. I'm your host, Avery Woods. Hi, you guys. Welcome back to Cheers. I'm so happy you are here. I felt like in my last solo talking about my mental health, it was a bit down in the dumps, you know, like we were focusing a lot on the negative. Not that it's not important to talk about mental health, but I just feel like it's important to keep it positive and think about all the amazing things going on in life, no matter what stage you're in. And so today I thought it would be fun to talk about things in life that are bringing me joy. And I also asked you guys on Instagram what things are happening in your life that brings you joy? I feel like finding the smallest things in life to make you smile and happy are what life's all about. And. And it's so easy to lay your head down on your pillow at night and think about all the things that went wrong in the day, all the things that could have gone better, things you could have done as a better person, friend, wife, mom. But we don't talk about or think about the tiny little moments that bring a smile to our face. And I'm trying to be better at that. And I feel like journaling has forced me to be better at that because I have a little passage where I list five things in my day that brought me joy. And it really does. Sometimes there's days where I got to dig. I got to dig to find that joy. Okay? But obviously, as my mental health is improving and going trending in the right direction, I have found it easier to find things that bring me joy and realize it doesn't need to be big things. You don't need a promotion or a raise or some huge life event to bring you joy. Just laying down with my kids at night and them smiling at me and saying, I love you, mama. Like that is something that brings me joy every single day. And there's no feeling quite like it. So I'm going to talk about some things that bring me joy, why they bring me joy, why I like to focus on them. And then we're going to talk about things that bring you guys joy. And I hope it just is a light, feel good episode for you to listen to and realize that there are small things that can really change your whole day, life week, whatever the case may be. It's just, you have to realize that they're there and we can be so hard on ourselves and so negative. And so I want to talk about the positive. So we're going to do that today. And I'm really excited. First things first, obviously, is my children. Could you imagine? I'm like, I don't list them in this. That would be crazy. No, my kids really bring me so much joy. And I feel like I have a bit of a different perspective when it comes to motherhood, especially working motherhood. Working moms are another beast. And really all moms are. It really is the most underappreciated, not paid job. And it's just not recognized the way that I wish I. I wish that it was recognized. And, you know, there's a lot of back and forth between stay at home moms, working moms. We're all moms and we should all be on the same team. And it truly does take a village to raise kind and wonderful human beings in this world, especially in such a harsh world. There's so much going on. And that's something that I question every day. I'm like, am I raising good kids? And those little moments that my kids give me make me realize that I am. And I'm so grateful for that. I feel like the little moments with them are the things that really keep me going. Like I was saying, you know, putting them to bed every night and them smiling at me and saying, I love you. Right now. We're going through, we're going through a bit of a sleep regression when it comes to Stevie. If you follow me on socials, you've probably seen me talk about this. Cause I think we're going on week three right now of waking up multiple times a night, poor thing, starting to have bad dreams. And so she comes in Our room usually between like 2 and 3am and she talks a lot in her sleep. And David and I were just having breakfast together this morning after my workout and we were laughing and we were like it's like a newborn sleeping in your room. Cuz I set up a little bed next to our side of the bed because she was crawling in bed with us. And like we worked really hard to sleep train them. We worked really hard not to co sleep with them. Not that I'm downing co sleeping or like shitting on it. I'm just saying we knew it was gonna be too hard for us to have a baby sleeping between us and. And Stevie is a kicker. She will get you right in the gut. And so pretty much every night that she was coming in bed with us, David was having to leave. And then I was waking up and I'm like where's my husband? And Stevie's feet are like across my pillow. And I was like, we gotta change something. And so I got a twin size air mattress and she's been sleeping there. But we were joking. Like this is like having a newborn. You know when you have a newborn next to you and you are staring at them like are you breathing? Or any little noise or squeak wakes you up. That's how it is. And the fact that she's on an air mattress, like the plasticky, every time she rolls, it's a thing. And then she talks in her sleep so much. So I am really struggling when it comes to being tired and sleeping and I'm drinking way too much caffeine and it's making me way too anxious. So we're trying to find balance with that. But where I'm going with that is I also told him, I said this is not something that I'm like pushing to get rid of for her. Like I'm not trying to make changes in order for her to get out of our room, if that makes sense. At first she was like waking up Ziggy and then she was waking us up and trying to get in our bed. So she's now stopped those things and just comes straight into our room, straight into her little bed. And like doesn't even wake us up. It's like aside from her opening and closing the door, poor thing. So I just, even though I'm so tired, I do find joy in the fact that she finds comfort next to me. And I find joy waking up to her every morning with her sleepy little face. You know when I'm up at 6:30 for school and she opens her eyes and looks at me and she goes, good morning, mama. So it's just small things like that and I feel like changing that mindset and in your head of taking something negative but looking at the positives really changes the game and it also, like, really makes you look at life differently. I feel like when you're so negative all the time, like it just consumes you and you have to find the positivity in life. You know, I believe that American Idol can change my life for the better.
- [07:48]
American Idol Announcer
ABC Monday. American Idol is back.
- [07:52]
Avery Woods
Why are you so emotional?
- [07:53]
Chime Advertiser
I didn't think I'd ever get to.
- [07:54]
Avery Woods
Be somewhere like this.
- [07:55]
American Idol Announcer
Where your vote turns dreamers. You ready for it? You're going to Hollywood league into idols. There it is, the golden ticket.
- [08:07]
Avery Woods
You are inspiring. You're pretty incredible.
- [08:10]
American Idol Announcer
American Idol season premiere Monday 87 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu.
- [08:15]
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- [08:52]
Avery Woods
I love it because I feel like.
- [08:53]
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- [09:02]
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- [09:02]
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- [09:20]
Avery Woods
Watching their personalities develop more and more is truly one of the biggest joys of my day. And their brains right now are like sponges. Ziggy seven, Stevie's four. And they come home from school and they'll just say the funniest things or like, learn about something new. And I love it because sometimes I'm like, who are you? Like, when did you become like seven going on 17? It's really crazy. Like the whole six, seven thing. I'm like, I don't even know what the fuck 6, 7 is. But the fact that my kids are doing this 6, 7, 8, 11. It just makes me laugh, but it just shows like, they're becoming their own people and finding their own sense of community in school, and I really love that, and I find comfort in that, because we obviously can't be with our kids 24 hours a day. There's a time in life where you have to let go. And it's the first time in life, in my parenting life, you know, with them, that they've been in school full time. And that's been a really big adjustment for me. But as hard as that was, again, the positives out of it is, you know, every day, Monday through Friday from 8 to 4, they're in school at an incredible place where they feel safe, making friends, learning and growing so much as human beings and also academically. And they have no idea that I'm doing a full work day because they don't sense that I'm gone, if that makes sense. Like, before, when they were home and I was home, if I even went to Pilates, Stevie's like, mommy, I just want to go to Pilates with you. Please, like, baby, there's no child care. Like, I just need one hour to myself and I'll be back. And it was always a fight, especially with Stevie, because she's very, very attached to me. Ziggy's always been, like, a very independent social butterfly where he's just out and about, and he's like, bye, Mom. See you. Have a good day. So it is so nice that I can complete my entire work day and still be there for every pickup, every drop off. And that is something I'm so grateful for. But watching their little personalities develop is such a joy. And they say the funniest man. Like, so my kids make me laugh harder than anyone because the innocence behind it is so, so sweet. And I just feel like this is truly the busiest time of my life. Like, the when they say, as your kids get older, you get busier, and it gets even more chaotic. It's true. And I remember being in, like, the newborn trenches. Like, Ziggy was my easy angel baby. Stevie came along and she challenged me. I thought I was ready to have another one. And then she came along, and I said, oh, I have a toddler and a baby that doesn't sleep and only wants to drink my boobs. And I was working full time as a nurse, and so it was hard, but I remember a lot of my Coworkers and my friends would be like, you just wait. As they get older, like it gets busier. The difference though? Well, I guess not. Now I'm not getting sleep. I was going to say the difference is that as I get older, you do get a full night's rest. Not right now, but it's okay. It's just a phase. It's just a phase for Stevie. But it's true. Like my. Our schedule right now is up at 6:30 every day. Drop him off at school and then I work a full work day and then we'll grab him from school. Ziggy has tutoring one day a week and then he has swim lessons cuz he's joining the school swim team. And then Stevie has dance one day a week and then she likes to go to the aftercare program when brother has tutoring and Ziggy starting guitar lessons, Stevie starting piano lessons. So every day it's like I leave the house at seven, drop them off, go work out, usually run some errands, come home, get ready, work, go pick them up, and then we're not home to like five o'. Clock. Then it's like dinner, bath, bed, repeat the same routine. So Monday through Friday feels like a blur. But I do find so much joy in being a carpool mom. I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is. I actually, yes, I do know what it is. I think that when you see people not just like on TV and in movies, but also on social media doing that like carpool mom life, I, I genuinely remember watching things like that when I was working as a nurse and I was like, wow, I will never have that because I was gone at like 5:30am and then home at 8:30pm so in my mind I was like, I'm never gonna be a carpool mom unless it's my days off. And that made me really sad. And to be able to have the ability every day to take them to school, drop them off, take them to every extracurricular. You know, we do our once a night date night. But like we, we put our kids down every single night for bed and we get to spend every holiday with them. And that seems like a normal thing to a lot of families. That, that was never something that was normal for us. I think there was a year where we worked like six Christmases in a row. It was insane. And I went from working at Starbucks to the nursing school and so I also worked holidays at Starbucks. So it wasn't until like almost my 30s that I was getting holidays off. And I'm just so grateful for that, you know, on Christmas morning to be able to wake up with my kids. So again, just those little pockets of joy is really what fulfills me. I want to tell a story too, talking about my kids learning and growing and their personalities developing. If you know Ziggy personally, then you know he is the most empathetic child you will ever meet. He does not have any bad bone in his body. He is so kind and thoughtful and caring. And all our kids are honestly, like, I truly feel like we have raised good human beings. And Ziggy is one of those children that you're like, wow, I did something right. Like, he. He really. Me trying not to cry. He really just is like a heaven sent child is what he feels like to me. And I feel like if there was more Ziggy's in the world, we would live in a happier world. I think the innocence of children should be studied because I feel like if we as adults kept that childhood innocence, the world would be so much better. I feel like we would be in a happier environment. We would be kinder to each other. And again, when they come home from school and they learn something new and they're excited to tell me, seeing that innocence in their face and their interpretation of it really opens my mind. Like, when Ziggy meets someone. Well, really, any of my kids, when they meet people, they're not judging how they look, how they dress, the color of their skin, their gender, whether they're gay, straight, bi. Like, to put into perspective, Ziggy had brought up a conversation and we kind of talked about gay marriage a little bit because he had asked just randomly, like, I can marry a girl. Maybe I'll marry Callie, who's Ashley's daughter, who's my niece and love her so, so much. And because they talk on FaceTime every day and play Minecraft together, it's really cute. And I was like, yeah. And he was like, or I can marry a boy if I want, like Scotty. And I said, yep, that's true. You can marry a boy. Just not even a question in his mind, like, has zero judgment or commentary to say about things like that. And he's getting to that age, you know, where they start to, like, talk at school and they can learn some things and maybe be a little clicky or, you know, they're being told beliefs at home that maybe they're teaching their children and so those kids can bring that to school. And my kids have yet to experience that And I'm really grateful for it. But I also think they've been raised in such an open and honest household that I think no matter what they're being told, they're going to go off their beliefs. And even if, you know, they choose to believe something different than David and I, whether it comes to politics or religion or whatever the case may be then. But not gay marriage. We will always be a pride family, okay? But the fact that he knows what's right in his mind and it's just not even a question to him, like, that's the childhood innocence that we need more of in this world. And the story I wanted to tell was Monday was Martin Luther King Day, and they had it off school. And so the first grade class got to learn about mlk, who he was, why it's a holiday, what he did for this country. And. And we were going to pick up Ziggy from school, and one of the administrators stopped us and was like, hey, I just want to let you know. You know, we learned about MLK today. And when you pick up Ziggy, he was pretty moved. So he might be talking about it and, like, affected by it. And we were like, what do you mean? And kind of going back to who Ziggy is, he is such an empathetic boy that he. At like 18 months, I remember I have a video of him, like, sucking on his binky because he was such a binky boy and he was watching a Disney short. And it was. It's the short called Float, by the way, which I highly, highly recommend. If even as an adult watching. I think it's only like five minutes. Again, it's an animated short film and it's about a father with a special needs child. And actually the creator of the short, it's his story. So he's talking about how he raised his special needs son and how difficult it is in this world because people are so judgmental. And it's really hard to raise a child that's different in a world that's so judgmental. And so he wrote the short film. It's absolutely beautiful. But I remember Ziggy sucking on his binky and it falling out of his mouth because he was like, his lips started pounding and his eyes were just like so big and just welting. He doesn't even know what he's watching. He wasn't even two years old, but like, oh, Disney movies that have any sort of emotion, he will just weep. He really feels people's emotions and pain. And again, I feel like that, you know, shapes such a great, sweet human being. Like we always say, like, he's going to be the greatest spouse one day. Such a supportive partner and just friend in general because of that empathy. But he learned about MLK and he was hysterical in school and said, I just don't understand why the peach skin people are so mean to the brown people just because of the way that their skin looks and the color of their skin. And he was so emotional and just said, I don't understand why Martin Luther King was shot. I don't understand why the peach skinned people were so mean to the brown skinned people. And was like going on and on about it. And I just looked at David and I was like, see? But that is, first of all, I love that the school taught them, you know, obviously about mlk. It's so important to hear stories like that and what has shaped history and what people are still going through, you know, in this day and age, unfortunately. But that innocence, I'm like, can you, can you imagine if the world was shaped with brains like that, how much more acceptance and love we would have in this world? Like, I wish there was more of that. And I feel so proud of the type of kid that he is. So that was just something that brought me joy recently and I'm just really proud of him.
- [21:46]
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- [22:14]
Better Help Advertiser
This show is sponsored by Better Help.
- [22:16]
Avery Woods
I have talked to you guys about how therapy has truly changed my life.
- [22:20]
Better Help Advertiser
And being such a busy mom on the go, being able to do therapy in the comfort of my own home.
- [22:25]
Avery Woods
Has truly changed my life for the better.
- [22:27]
Better Help Advertiser
It is not an exaggeration.
- [22:29]
Avery Woods
I feel like I always had an excuse to skip therapy or reschedule because.
- [22:33]
Better Help Advertiser
It was inconvenient for me to leave.
- [22:35]
Avery Woods
The house and go somewhere.
- [22:37]
Better Help Advertiser
I don't have any excuses anymore. And I sit down with my therapist.
- [22:40]
Avery Woods
On On Better Help.
- [22:41]
Better Help Advertiser
And it is so incredible. A new year is a new opportunity.
- [22:44]
Avery Woods
To feel lighter and you don't have.
- [22:46]
Better Help Advertiser
To become a new person to do it.
- [22:47]
Avery Woods
Signing up for therapy with Better Help.
- [22:49]
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- [23:32]
Avery Woods
A good feel good show Brings Me Joy first of all, Tell Me Lies is back. Which I'll be honest with you, I have not started the new season and do you know what's so funny is I remember when the first season came out, it wasn't really like talked about a ton. I feel like I saw a little bit. I binged that shit in like a day. And I remember sharing on social media. People are like what show is this? What is this? And I'm so, I'm so glad it's getting the recognition it deserves. By the way, and the fact that the two main characters are actually a couple in real life makes me horny. Any who says so, I feel good show a show that you can kind of like disconnect from the world and just focus on. I feel like sometimes it's just important to let your brain rot. Okay, fight me on it. I don't really care. I feel like a good brain rot is necessary to just revitalize yourself for the week. Specifically, something that really boosts my serotonin and gives me a little bit of joy in my day is a feel good show that doesn't stress you out because sometimes Tell Me Lies gets my heart rate up. Okay. Makes me anxious. Lucy's really putting me through the ringer in the last couple seasons, so I feel like sometimes you need to show that's a bit more chill and just feel good and a little cheesy. Okay. Wasn't a big cheesy show person, but recently it's grown on me because I feel like I don't have to think about it and I go to bed at night and like fall asleep and feel like chill. I feel good. I talk about this on socials, but I watched Gilmore Girls for the first time this year. I finally finished it. Like maybe A month ago or so. That is a definition of a feel good show. Incredible. Other feel good shows, Sex in the City. Love Sex in the City. You guys told me to start Emily in Paris because when I finished Gilmore Girls, I did have a bit of a crisis. I did have a bit of a crisis because I didn't know what to watch. And you guys recommended Emily in Paris. And one of you guys, you were like, I, it's cheesy, but just stick through it. I promise it's worth it. And it is. I am now in season three. Such a great feel good show. Some of the moments are so cheesy that I'm like, oh. I'm like, it's hard, it's hard to watch, but I love it. I can't look away. I'm obsessed. Desperate Housewives is a good one, has a little bit of stress because, you know someone dies. But that's also a really great show. Oh, hello. A show that just came back. Season two, the Pit. Come on, you guys. How did I forget about this? Okay, the Pit is incredible. Obviously I'm a nurse, worked as a nurse and most of my career was spent in the picu, but when I was swat, I would help in the ER a lot. And so I love, love what they did with the Pit. There was no medical show like it. I've never watched Grey's Anatomy ever. I know, I know everyone comes after me for it, but it's really hard when you work in the medical field and you watch a show like Grey's. Not accurate in any way, shape or form. Should I watch it just so I can keep up with the times and people talking about it in the storyline? Sure, sure. Maybe one day when I'm like out of my feel good shows. But the Pit is very unique because the Entire season is one 12 hour shift, which I love because it's continuous. And it also shows very accurately how much shit can go wrong in a 12 hour workday and how there's no breaks, it's non stop. You're not peeing, you're not eating, you're getting shit done, you're, you're being worked to, to the brim. And I love that the first episode is like 7am to 8am Second episode's 8am to 9am I do wish that they didn't release one once a week because if it's one continuous shift, it's hard to like start it a week later when it's going hour by hour. But I like that they put the actors through like a Semi medical training to teach them how to like, properly put gloves on hold, medical supplies properly, what everything's called. I respected that a lot because I feel like most shows don't do that. And then the main actor, when the first season came out, he went to, I think it was the Golden Globes or the Emmys, I can't remember. But he had figs scrubs, make his tuxedo out of scrub material. So dope. Like, so dope. And I respect those actors so much because they're always thinking health care workers. And I love it because the difference between Hollywood life and healthcare life could not be more polar opposite. And so I love that the show is bringing a lot of respect and attention to healthcare workers because they truly deserve it. So The Pit Season 2, that is bringing me joy. Making new mom friends has been bringing me so much joy. And I just shared that I had hosted the TK Moms at my house. Our school is really good. I say our school like I'm attending it. The kids school is really good at organizing play dates outside of the classroom. So we have like a tk. So people were asking. TK is transitional kindergarten. That's what Stevie's in. Basically, like fancy preschool. And then Ziggy's in first grade. So each grade level has a chat and WhatsApp, and we'll do like park play dates or share birthday parties or, you know, if you need, like carpooling with other kids, it's really, really nice because we can all stay in touch. And it's not just their classroom, it's the entire class. So like Stevie, she's in one TK classroom. There's one more TK classroom. So it's both classrooms. All of the moms get together, all the kids get together. It's really, really cool. And the same for first grade for Ziggy. So we were doing a TK playdate, and one of the moms was like, we should do a mom's night out. Like, get to know each other more because our kids school is very unique. It's. It's TK through 12th grade. So Stevie's four right now in TK. She'll graduate high school at this school, so she'll be there for the next 14 years. So the kids in her preschool class right now will be in her graduating high school class, which is really cool. And that was one of the reasons that Dave and I really loved the school, is because we never grew up with a lot of, like, close childhood friends. We moved a lot. I moved states a lot. And so I always dreamed about growing up with those people in my life. And so our kids get that now, and it makes me really excited. And so I was like, yes, mom's night out. I said, or we could do a mom's night in and just like, chill. And one of the moms is like, yes, I vote that. So I volunteered to host and we did, like, a cute little pajama themed mom's night in. We had some sushi, we had some wine, and it was really, really fun. And we had so many moms show up. I think there was like 16 or 17 of us, which made me really, really happy because it was from both classrooms and it was just. It brought me so much joy to just, you know, when we're all talking, we're like, wow, our kids are going to graduate high school together. Like, this is crazy that they're all four right now. But, like, we're going to be sitting in the auditorium when they graduate high school and be like, oh, my God, do you remember when we were in a TK playdate 14 years ago? You know, so it was really cool. And it is a little bit different. I feel like when you meet friends naturally and like, outside of the Internet, if that makes sense. I talked about this a lot when it came to dating advice because I feel for my single friends so much in this dating app world, I feel. And not that I'm saying you cannot meet the love of your life on a dating app. I know so many people that have matched with people online and are happily married with families now, but I feel like it's changed the way men are going to come after me, but they. It's.
- [31:28]
Chime Advertiser
Whatever.
- [31:29]
Avery Woods
This is not a male's podcast. I feel like it has changed the way that men are able to approach and treat women because they're just constantly scrolling, looking at face and tits and saying yes or no if they want to have sex with them or not. Like, it's become so toxic and unhealthy in this world. And I feel so grateful that I met David naturally. Like, our paths just crossed. We just met and bonded on human connection, and he asked for my phone number and that was that. And that was what, almost 13 years ago, which is crazy. So I feel like it's the same with mom friends and not that you can't meet people online. I have so many super close friends in my life that I've met because of social media. And I feel like when I first started making it on social media, I was a newer mom and that gave me so many connections with fellow moms that had kids around the same age. Like one of my friends, Kate Reagan. Hi, Kate. Love you so much. Her son Wave and Ziggy are, I think, only a month apart. And I remember when we lived in San Diego, she's in Orange county, and we followed each other on Instagram and have been mutuals ever since. And now the boys are turning seven, which is crazy. And she has a daughter, Rhythm, and I have Stevie, obviously, and they're only a couple months apart, so that was really cool. So social media has obviously brought me so many incredible people in my life, and I'm forever grateful. But I think when you make it, I'm doing air quotes if you're not watching. I think when you make it in this industry, you naturally have a guard up. And I wish it wasn't like that. But it is hard to know what people's intentions are, because I have been disappointed in certain situations, I guess, where I think I'm meeting someone naturally, and then we kind of get to talking and then come to find out, like, you know, they were fans of me, if that makes sense. And that makes me uncomfortable to say because I. I don't ever like to be like, I'm famous. No, no, no, no. I'm just a human being that makes her living on the Internet. But when you meet people naturally, especially ones that don't have social media platforms, or, like, they might not even have social media at all, or they could have, you know, like, a private profile with just their closest friends and family, I feel like it's so refreshing when I'm talking to people and they're like, what do you do? And I always say I work on social media. Like, I never say. Like, I'm an influencer. They think I usually do, like, marketing or something, because I'm never gonna, like, advertise for myself because I get so embarrassed when people will find me online. I get so embarrassed. Like, I'm starting to get red a little bit in the cheeks. I can feel it, because I just thinking about it makes me flush. But it's so nice when someone has no idea who you are. Like, one of my mom friends, when she was over for dinner, her son is in Stevie's class. And she was like, because we met last summer when the kids were in summer camp, so the summer will be a year since we met. And she was like, I'm not gonna lie. Like, I had no idea what you did for a living. And I was like, thank you. Thank you. Like, that is so refreshing because A, you don't know people's intentions and B, it's so hard when the Internet is so mean to you. You don't want that to bleed into people in your personal life and their opinions getting skewed about you. And that's such a shitty place to be in. Like, you never want to be. Like, because there's times where I meet people, I'm like, oh, I really click with that person. Like, I hope they don't find me online and see the millions of people that hate me and want me to die. Because it's true. People are so mean. And also, I've had people in my life that their opinions change because of online opinions, which I find crazy because if you know someone in real life, that should be what you're judging them off of, right? The person that they are not what strangers on the Internet think. So it's just been so refreshing to find these mom friends and these connections that will be in my life literally forever. And there's no strings attached. All we want is to make an incredible community for our kids and raise them right and just be the best parents we can. And sometimes being the best mom possible means having a night off from putting your kids down and having some wine and sushi at the woods household. So that's what we did. And it was so much fun.
- [36:02]
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- [37:40]
Avery Woods
Lastly, one of the things that has brought me Joy for over 10 years, obviously is my husband. But it's his small acts of service that every day when I'm journaling and I think about it, it's something that he did for me. There's at least one thing in there that he does. And he said something to me the other day and he's like, my duty and role right now in this stage in our life is to make your life easier and to help alleviate you. And that was such a powerful statement to hear because obviously David left law enforcement. I think it's been two years, which is crazy. And that was something that got so much hate. Like, it was insane. And I didn't even want it to come out. I threw him a surprise retirement party and someone had taken a photo, you know, of the cake, and it got leaked and it was like a whole thing. And so I, like, I wanted it to be on the DL and then it like blew up literally the day that he came home on his last day. And so it really did kind of take our joy away, which makes me sad, but I would not have it any other way. Like, his role is irreplaceable. And, you know, when I worked at Starbucks, I was in my second semester of nursing school. I started clinicals and I was so overwhelmed because our school did like full 12 and a half hour clinical days, but we had to come an hour before and stay an hour after. So it was like a 14, 15 hour day on top of our normal classes and nursing schools on a curve. So if you don't know, a 77% and higher is passing. So if you have a 76%, that's an F, the curve also includes like a 93% and higher is an A. So if you have a 92, congratulations, you got a B. So it's hard. It's really hard. And working on top of it was also really hard. But I paid for my health insurance since I was 16 for my Starbucks paycheck. And I just remember one day he was like, you can't do this anymore. Like you're killing yourself. It's too hard. And so he started working like two, sometimes three overtime shifts a week in order for me to be a full time nursing student. And I would never be a nurse without him. I would never be where I'm at in life without him. And that's why it wasn't even a question for me when we had the opportunity for him to leave. Because there's so much more we can accomplish together than me alone. And also him being at work full time, I would have to hire full time help for the kids because they weren't in school then. So we truly have built this together. Even though I'm the face that you see and the voice that you hear, like, we really are a team. And I joke around and call him my business manager because he really does manage everything behind the scenes and I'm so grateful for that. But just the small things he does really bring me joy. You know, he makes my bed every. My bed. He makes our bed every morning. I always have a cup of coffee waiting for me. As soon as he hears the sound machine turn off, I can smell the coffee. Because he knows I'm up every single day. He will ask me before he goes out and runs errands or does something. What can I do for you? What do you need? Like, he's at Costco right now and he's like, what else do you need me to do for you? Just, just the fact that I have a husband willing to do that and play that role and put me first, I'm so grateful for. But also like, for us to be able to have that together and be a team. I watched, I saw a real. Because you guys know I don't scroll on TikTok, but on your following feed now, sometimes it'll be like a recommended thing for you to watch. And it was a reel. Talking about marriage and how the first, you know, a couple years are all about lust because your, your body, something about your brain, like releasing serotonin and like having that like, sexual connection. Obviously happens the beginning of every relationship, but then as you move on, what makes a long lasting marriage is friendship. And I can. We were sitting at the table literally this morning and I was showing him this and I was like, I can wholeheartedly say you are my best friend, my absolute best friend. There's no doubt about it. And the fact that we have such a great routine as parents, individuals, as business owners, as housemates, like, it's, it's, it's really hard to combine your life together and also be together all the time. Like, I remember when he first left law enforcement, some of my friends were like, just beware, just beware. When you guys are home together all the time, I get it. But also like we do stuff for ourselves and we respect that so much. Like he's always like, you haven't gotten out and like done anything for yourself in a while, you need to go do that. Or like he'll go take a guys trip or you know, he likes to go golfing while the kids are at school. Like that's time for him while I get work done or I don't know, go get a pedicure or something. You know, like we always have something for ourselves, but then we also prioritize. Every Tuesday's date night. Every Tuesday our sitter comes at 5:30 and we know we have something to look forward to. Put our phones down, connect him and I and just remember where we started. So he just does so much, so many little things throughout the day. And I truly feel so grateful for that. And even though I'm so busy, I try to do the same for him. And I'm not saying I'm the perfect partner by any means. I feel like I learn every day. But like one thing about us, we hate the dentist. I'm sorry to the dentist people. I'm sorry, but I have so many tragic experiences from the dentist as a child. David also hates the dentist and he had to get a root canal last week and they had to, I mean they. Not just a root canal, he had a bunch of other, he had to get done. I felt so bad for him. He was in dental surgery from 8am to 1pm can you imagine that? That is so painful. Like the side of his lips are both cut from his mouth being pried open the whole time. It was so sad. And he gets so anxious. Like the days leading up to this procedure he was constantly talk about talking about it. I knew how anxious he was and the morning of he was just so worried and it broke my heart. And so as soon as I dropped the kids off at school, I went to my workout and then I immediately tracked his location and drove to the dentist and I went up to the secretary and I was like, my husband's really anxious, can I just go back and see him? And so I just like went around the corner and I said hi baby. And like held this hand and he was like, thank you so much for doing that. It helped me a lot. So we just try to do small things for each other. And like again, this episode's about finding the little things that bring you joy, right? Like that little moment where I could see him at the dentist's office for two minutes. That was something that brought me joy, you know, and that's something that I wouldn't be able to do if I worked a normal 9 to 5 or my nursing job. So I'm just really grateful for that. I had asked you guys on social media to tell me things that bring you joy because I love talking about the positivity and I also love hearing things that bring you joy, because maybe I can start to do it and it'll bring me joy. My morning routine. Can I just tell you I'm a happier person when I'm in my routine? I thrive in routine. And I talked about this in my mental health episode. Extra long weekend. It's so nice with my kids. But I'm telling you, when that Saturday, Sunday is up, I am ready for Monday morning. Get my ass up and ready. Kids dropped off to the gym to work. Like having yesterday off amazing with the kids. We went to the beach. We had such a great day. But at the end of the day, I was like, okay, we need to get to Tuesday because I need to be back in routine. Routines truly help me with, like, my anxiety, my mental health. I just feel like I'm always thriving in routine. So I love that you feel the same. Reading a good book. I need some good book recs. I finished the Housemaid. I saw the movie. So good. Obviously incredible. But I need some more books. And I feel like life's been so busy lately that I've been lacking on reading. And you guys know I was a hoe for my Kindle. I love my Kindle. It's still my nightstand. But I just need a new book. And I feel like I haven't found any books recently that I've been excited about. So let me know because when you find that good book, if you're a reader, you know you're not putting it down till you're done scrapbooking. Oh, my God, I love that. I actually thought about scrapbooking recently because my mom would have scrapbook parties. Like that's such a 90s kid thing. Like, I remember my mom would like clear our dining table and would get all the scrapbook supplies out and all the women from the neighborhood would come and do scrapbooks of all their kids pictures. It was so cool. I make like the Artifact Uprising books every year, and I have one for the last. I think I only have like the last three years. And I told myself I was gonna go back and do it, but it takes so much work. But I. I need to stop bitching about it and just do it, but, like, it's just not as special as, like, designing a scrapbook page, you know? Like, I have all. Every single one of my mom's photo albums in my garage, and I look at that all the time, and I'm so grateful for that. The fact that she, like, hand cut everything and glued it and, like, took the time, and then she would write little notes of, like, story times for each memory. Love that. So I need to start that. I love that you're scrapbooking. The feeling of sun hitting my face on a cold day. I love that. You know, there are days where I. If I'm having a hard time, I will just, like, soak in the sun. I actually, I just posted my photo dump on Instagram yesterday, and there's a photo of me, like, laying on our outdoor couch near the fire pit. I just want you to know I am dead ass asleep there. David took that photo and sent it to me. He was like, hope you had a good nap on, like, a chilly day with a breeze. Feeling the sun on your skin, it heals you. Same with grounding. I love grounding. I feel like I did a lot of grounding yesterday at the beach. Just, like, taking your shoes off, soaking in the sun, walking in the sand, feeling the water on your toes. Especially with my kids, like, hearing them giggle, it does something to my mental health. It is a serotonin booster. Listening to your pod on my way to work. It's either Lana or Lana. Hi, sweets. Love you so much. Thank you for your kindness and support. That makes me so happy. Even if one of you, if. If one person gets joy from listening to my podcast, deal's done. Worth it. Any type of body movement or workout. Yes, I feel that. Honestly, like, my workout this morning.
- [48:50]
KY Lubricant Advertiser
Rough.
- [48:51]
Avery Woods
Karina, you wrecked my ass. But I left and I said, period. What else can we get done? Like, it really does up your energy. And it's funny because I walked in there like a zombie. Everyone's like, you good? I'm like, yeah, just going on three weeks of no sleep. But it's good. I'm here. I walked out of there an hour later, a completely different human being. Because I feel like exercising really gets my energy up and going. Seeing my children smile, love. I feel the same way. Like, there's nothing better than that little gummy smile when they're laughing so hard. Or like, one of my favorite things is when my kids laugh so hard, it's silent. I'm like, take a breath. Take a breath. Because they're laughing so hard that they can't breathe, but there's nothing. It's just, like, the pure joy and innocence of childhood, you know? Heated workout classes. Oh, my gosh. Okay. I was talking to my friend Laura about this Laura Lee, and she is, like, the queen of these hot, heated workout classes. It is unreal that. Must lose five pounds. Every time she works out, she's dripping in sweat. But I told her I was like, okay, I do want to go. I'm not gonna lie. Like, it does. I. I'm such a workout fiend now. I hate that I'm that person a little bit, because I used to talk so much shit about those gym rats. Now all of a sudden, here I am. But it's. It's because it's completely changed my mental health, and I don't want to be depressed anymore. But I told her I was like, I'm so open to trying, whatever. So if I do that, I'm gonna record and just make fun of myself, because I feel like I'm gonna need some prayers. I'm a little bit scared about that coloring and pickleball girl. Don't even get me started on coloring. I mean, if you've been here for a while, then, you know I love a good coloring book. My best friend Ashley got me hooked on coloring, and she bought me that, like, big marker pack, and it literally has a strap on it. You can carry it like a purse. Oh, my God. So nerdy. I love being nerdy. So then I, like, got obsessed with finding new coloring books. There's so many different ones. I have, like, a cute, girly vibes one. I have, like, a kitchen one, a cozy one. I have an animal or ocean one, which Stevie and I have been loving. And Ziggy's not really big into coloring. It's not really his thing. He's not like. I mean, boys are so much different when it comes to, like, arts and crafts and stuff. But Stevie and I will sit at the counter for, like, an hour. Mama, can I use your markers? I'm like, yes, of course. But we have to put something underneath because they're, like, the alcohol markers that leak. And she's obsessed with coloring, and she uses all my coloring books. That's a really fun little mommy daughter bond that we have days off with the fam making mems. I agree with that. I. It's so interesting, like, coming from our first responder schedule, we never looked forward to the weekends in, like, for, like, eight to 10 years, because I worked every third weekend as a Nurse. And then the majority of years, David worked weekends as well because it just worked for our schedule. And so we never really looked forward to weekends. And our kids weren't in school at that time, so they were just home every day. Now I fucking love the weekends. A. I feel like, well, I'm a natural naturally early riser now, which don't even get me started. I'm literally my mother. I used to be able to sleep till like 10am not that I would really. Well, some I would say like one day a week. Sometimes I'd be like, hon, I'm gonna sleep in tomorrow. And he's like, whatever you need. Because I was so dead tired. Or like when I was breastfeeding, I would take like a sleeping day. But now I'm up naturally at like 6:30 because Monday through Friday I'm up at 6:30 to take the kids to school and go work out when the weekends come, I'm not setting an alarm. I'm having a slow morning. I'm rolling out of bed. I'm putting my bathrobe and my slippers on. I'm going up, getting a cup of coffee.
- [52:43]
Better Help Advertiser
Do not.
- [52:44]
Avery Woods
I'm not working out on the weekends. I don't want to hear it. Okay. Monday through Friday is my workout schedule and I look forward to my rest day on Saturday. Sunday also. I do feel if I don't let my body physically recover from my workouts, I'm so sore, my body hurts so much that I'm not even having an effective workout anyway, so what's the point? And just being able to put my phone down and soak in my time with the kids. And even if you see me posting on the weekends, by the way, especially when it comes to tiktoks like videos, those are most likely pre recorded. I try to record two extra videos a week. Excuse me, not me burping. I try to record two extra videos a week. That way all I have to do is upload them on the weekends and just have the ability to log off. So. And plus, you guys know I love my farmer's market Saturdays. I love farmers market Saturdays. And Malibu has a good farmer's market on Sunday too. That the kids love their croissants, so that's fine. Ooh, coastal drives. I love that. I love driving down. Well, the PCH was different before the fires obviously, like that changed a lot. But I love like we just drove to Malibu yesterday when we went to the beach and just looking at the ocean, like the ocean brings me peace. The ocean has Always brought me peace. I've never feared the ocean. I mean, I grew up by the ocean and was in the water at a very, very young age. And I love that. My kids love the ocean. And again, grounding, I feel is very important with nature. And floating in the ocean does something to me. So I love that you're doing coastal drives. Someone said going to Ulta. I feel you don't forget Sephora too. Okay? I love going and getting some good new makeup. Sometimes retail therapy is necessary. I don't want to hear what anyone has to say. That doesn't mean you need to be spending thousands of dollars on some designer item. No, no, no. Even me going to HomeGoods and looking at picture frames and having some good retail therapy. Love it. Also, maybe a Chili's date. Like, maybe you need some good food. That also brings me joy, my kids and my husband. And then I get to wake up and work out. I love your mindset. I love that. Amazing. Ooh, Trying new matcha shops. You know, I haven't been able to get into Matcha, but I really want to try because I feel like it's way better for you than coffee. So let me know your favorite matcha shops. It really is a small thing. Sleep good coffee, people that love you. I fully agree. I love that so much. All right, you guys, I could yap on about this forever, but we're gonna have to cut it because we're already at almost an hour. I hope you love this episode. I hope it brought you just a little bit of joy to your day. Brought me joy. Talking about the positive things I feel like speaking about. That makes me feel light and airy and happy and I would love to do it more often. So let me know your thoughts. I will see you next.
- [55:48]
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- [56:18]
Edible Arrangements Advertiser
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- [56:48]
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