Mini-Ep 453: Party On

Summary

Forever35: Mini-Ep 453 – "Party On"

Release Date: July 23, 2025
Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu

In this heartwarming and candid mini-episode of Forever35, titled "Party On," co-hosts Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu dive into personal stories, engage with listener feedback, and tackle both light-hearted and serious topics with their signature blend of humor and sincerity. This episode offers a relatable exploration of parenting, self-care, and navigating life's unexpected moments.

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1. Personal Updates and Celebrations (03:13)

The episode kicks off with Doree and Elise sharing recent happenings in their lives. Doree discusses a postponed big playdate, revealing the challenges of coordinating large gatherings. Meanwhile, Elise enthusiastically recounts her son Henry's first boogie boarding experience at a beach birthday party, highlighting the joys and little mishaps of parenting.

Doree Shafrir [03:53]: "He boogie boarded for the first time... he didn't want to even stop and eat some pizza. He was just like, I gotta keep going."

Elise reminisces about hosting a college-themed party, complete with homemade jungle juice and jello shots, playfully navigating the nostalgia of college traditions while ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees.

Elise Hu [06:28]: "It was a really good theme. Good times had by all."

Doree shares a relatable moment of feeling under the weather during the party, momentarily worrying about having Covid, only to realize it was a simple stuffy nose from skincare products.

Doree Shafrir [10:09]: "I was putting my skin care on... all of my products are unscented."

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2. Celebrating Micro Joys with Listeners (12:22)

Emphasizing the importance of finding small moments of happiness, Doree and Elise introduce listener voicemails sharing their "micro joys" — simple pleasures that brighten their days amidst hectic schedules.

• Listener 1 from Santa Cruz shares her morning ritual of playing spa music to create a calming home environment, a tactic that helps her manage the chaos of motherhood and a full-time job.

  Listener 1 [12:30]: "It's like a nice way to make your brain and body relax a little bit."

• Listener 2 expresses delight over podcasts skipping ad breaks and enjoys revisiting older episodes, finding comfort in nostalgia before the pandemic's upheaval.

Responding thoughtfully, Doree promotes their Patreon for listeners seeking an ad-free experience while highlighting the additional content available, such as past episodes and exclusive chats.

Doree Shafrir [15:03]: "If you do not like ads, there's a very simple solution on this podcast which is to join our Patreon."

Elise adds that Patreon not only removes ads but also offers a more unfiltered and intimate connection through their "casual chats," enriching the listener experience.

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3. Navigating Conversations About Death with Children (20:06)

A profound listener question about discussing death with a young child prompts an earnest dialogue between the hosts. Doree shares her personal approach to explaining her sister-in-law's passing to her three-year-old son, Henry, emphasizing honesty tempered with age-appropriate language.

Doree Shafrir [21:52]: "Sometimes sickness is like on the insides of our bodies and you don't always see it on the outside."

Elise complements this by recommending resources like the board book series from A Kid's Company, which provides thoughtful tools for parents to address such sensitive topics with their children.

Elise Hu [22:52]: "There's actually a board book for about 5-year-olds called A Kid's Book about Death. I would recommend you..."

This segment underscores the hosts' commitment to providing supportive and practical advice for parents navigating challenging conversations.

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4. Listener Insights and Practical Tips (24:13)

The hosts dive into a variety of listener messages, addressing diverse topics with practicality and empathy.

• Arizona Resort Culture & Diet Pill Marketing: A listener links their desire to attend a national tennis tournament in Arizona with concerns about escalating diet culture and the rebranding of diet pills as perimenopause supplements. Elise warns against such misleading marketing tactics, urging listeners to remain vigilant.

  Elise Hu [25:05]: "It's just rebranding a lot of these pro-harassing behaviors many of us have had to live through."

• Managing Teenagers' Charger Habits: Krista offers a clever solution to prevent her teenager from misplacing chargers by implementing consequences if chargers are taken from designated spots. Doree and Elise appreciate the strategy, with Elise humorously acknowledging the empowerment that comes with enforcing such boundaries.

  Elise Hu [27:15]: "I relish the opportunity to take away her phone."

• Recommendations for Korean Spas in LA: Responding to listener requests, Doree and Elise share favorite Korean spa spots like WI Spa and Spa LA, detailing their offerings and personal experiences to help listeners make informed choices for relaxation and rejuvenation.

  Doree Shafrir [31:16]: "There is a rooftop deck where people just kind of hang out. It's great."

Additionally, they touch upon unique finds from Costco, such as exclusive dog toys and innovative food products from Trader Joe's, blending personal anecdotes with practical shopping tips.

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5. Final Thoughts and Upcoming Content (35:03)

As the episode winds down, Doree introduces a new Korean japchae fried rice product from Trader Joe's, praising its versatility and taste, while Elise mentions having more free time due to her kids attending sleepaway camp, teasing future episodes that will delve into topics like her children's camp experiences.

Doree Shafrir [34:36]: "It's really good. So that is my Trader Joe's wreck for the week."

The hosts wrap up the episode with warm farewells, reinforcing their connection with the listener community and setting the stage for future engaging conversations.

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Key Highlights:

• Authentic Storytelling: Doree and Elise share personal parenting moments and social gatherings, creating a relatable and intimate atmosphere.

• Listener Engagement: By incorporating listener voicemails and messages, the hosts foster a sense of community and shared experiences.

• Balanced Content: The episode seamlessly weaves between light-hearted topics and serious discussions, offering a well-rounded listening experience.

• Practical Advice: Whether it's managing screen time, discussing death with young children, or organizing household items, the hosts provide actionable insights grounded in personal experience.

• Resource Recommendations: From board books on death to Korean spa suggestions, Doree and Elise offer valuable resources tailored to their listeners' needs.

Notable Quotes:

• Doree Shafrir [03:53]: "He boogie boarded for the first time... he didn't want to even stop and eat some pizza. He was just like, I gotta keep going."

• Elise Hu [06:28]: "It was a really good theme. Good times had by all."

• Doree Shafrir [10:09]: "I was putting my skin care on... all of my products are unscented."

• Doree Shafrir [15:03]: "If you do not like ads, there's a very simple solution on this podcast which is to join our Patreon."

• Doree Shafrir [21:52]: "Sometimes sickness is like on the insides of our bodies and you don't always see it on the outside."

• Elise Hu [22:52]: "There's actually a board book for about 5-year-olds called A Kid's Book about Death. I would recommend you..."

• Elise Hu [25:05]: "It's just rebranding a lot of these pro-harassing behaviors many of us have had to live through."

• Elise Hu [27:15]: "I relish the opportunity to take away her phone."

• Doree Shafrir [31:16]: "There is a rooftop deck where people just kind of hang out. It's great."

• Doree Shafrir [34:36]: "It's really good. So that is my Trader Joe's wreck for the week."

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Conclusion:

Mini-Episode 453 of Forever35 offers a delightful mix of personal anecdotes, listener interactions, and thoughtful discussions. Doree Shafrir and Elise Hu excel at creating an engaging narrative that resonates with listeners navigating the complexities of modern life, parenting, and self-care. Whether sharing joyful parenting milestones or providing guidance on sensitive topics, the hosts maintain an authentic and supportive presence, making this episode a meaningful addition to the Forever35 series.

Transcript

[Elise Hu]

This episode is sponsored by Gab. Teens spend an average of. Oh whoa, nine hours a day on screens. Outside of crazy, that's a full time job.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, every working, every like waking minute is spent on a screen.

[Elise Hu]

I. Yeah, it seems like it's a full time job. Just scrolling. There's no right answer for managing screens and your kids, but the numbers don't lie. 45% of girls and 32% of boys say they feel overwhelming stress from being on social media. And together, a quarter of them both feel worse about their own lives. I think it's a real attention stealer. It's a thief of attention. And so I'm often, I'm often like with my screen teen, I'm like, hello, Ava, you still there? You still there?

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

So we definitely have to be very thoughtful about the way that she engages with screens because it does require so much of her attention. But so here's the good news. Gab has solved some of the screen teen problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps. Tech in steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device at the right time. From GPS tracking enabled watches for younger kids to increased features in parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens, each device grows with your child. Bottom line, you don't have to give your kid a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab, which keeps them socially connected safely. I can't recommend Gab enough. Use our code to get the best deal on something that will make parenting easier and give you peace of mind. Visit gab.com forever35 and use code forever35 for a special offer.

[Dory Shafrir]

This episode is brought to you by Earth Animal. Have you ever been overwhelmed at the pet store looking at dog treats and you're faced with a wall of ears, hooves, mystery meat, and then rawhide. It looks har, but if you know people with dogs, then you probably know someone whose dog had a bad experience with rawhide. But now there's earth animals. No hide chews, no rawhide, no nasties. Just simple sustainable ingredients and an extra plus no awful smell. Plus no hide chews actually last get 25% off no hide with code [e-mail] give them a try. But remember to always supervise chewing. So subject to availability terms and conditions apply. See earthanimal.com for details. Hello and welcome to Forever35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I'm Dory Shafrier.

[Elise Hu]

And I'm Elise Hu, and we're just two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.

[Dory Shafrir]

And this is a mini episode where we hear from you, we share your comments and your thoughts, and we answer your questions to the best of our ability. But please remember, we are not experts or podcast hosts, and we always encourage you to seek support, first and foremost from a medical and or mental health professional as needed.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Yeah. And before we get to all your mailbag questions, we usually catch up for a few minutes, so we do. Fill me in, Dory. What's happening?

[Dory Shafrir]

What is happening?

[Elise Hu]

You were hosting your big playdate this past weekend. Right. Did I remember correctly?

[Dory Shafrir]

We didn't end up doing it. We're gonna do it, I think, in a few weeks.

[Elise Hu]

I keep waiting for this.

[Dory Shafrir]

I know, I know, I know. But Henry did have a birthday party at the beach. He went to a birthday party at the beach. He didn't have his own birthday party at the beach. And he boogie boarded for the first time.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, how fun.

[Dory Shafrir]

And he is obsessed. It's the best. Obsessed with boogie boarding. Like, he was so into it. Like, he didn't want to even, like, stop and eat some pizza. He was just like, I gotta keep going.

[Elise Hu]

That's great. Boogie boarding's the best. And, you know, if you feel like you're in the market for a boogie board, you know, where you. There are many boogie boards available is nextdoor.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, that's a hot tip. Well, maybe on your side of town. I feel like I don't see that many over here, but if you see them, let me know.

[Elise Hu]

I mean, I'm sure they have them at Costco too.

[Dory Shafrir]

But, you know, I was at Costco today and there were no boogie boards. But again, I went to the Costco far from the beach.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

So maybe I need to go to the Costco closer to the beach, where they would have.

[Elise Hu]

Also later in the season, like, they tend to have a bunch of big boogie boards around the same time they have a bunch of plants for the spring, so. But if I spot one, I will let you know.

[Dory Shafrir]

If you see one that looks like it would be the appropriate size for my child, feel free to pick it up.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, will do.

[Dory Shafrir]

I would be. I would be grateful. What's going on with you?

[Elise Hu]

Well, while we're on the topic of Costco, Costco is selling these giant Costco branded buckets, which I was so delighted to discover, because, first of all, I mean, who doesn't need an extra bucket for cleaning or painting or for whatever reason?

[Dory Shafrir]

We Love a bucket.

[Elise Hu]

These buckets say Costco in the big Costco logo.

[Dory Shafrir]

Great.

[Elise Hu]

I know we have a divided listenership. I know some of you are Sam's Club people, and some of you just hate Costco. I am partnered with somebody who hates Costco. He walks in it, and he, like, doesn't even like the smell of it. He's just like, it smells like Costco and he has to get out of there. But Rob very lovingly accompanied me to Costco, one of my favorite places on earth, because we were having my big kegger, and the theme of the party was old school. And so we did all of the college things. I made a little TikTok about it. So if you follow me on TikTok, you can see some of the images. And I needed to make jungle juice or trash juice or all the different things that punch was called. But I didn't want to make it in a bathtub, which is where we used to make make it before parties when we were pre gaming for big parties, because I didn't think anybody was gonna drink it. And I would have been right. And luckily, while we were at said Costco, looking for some sort of, like, trash can or something to make this hoochin, Rob spotted these Costco buckets. So I am now the proud owner of a giant plastic Costco bucket in which I put a bunch of booze and Hawaiian punch and a little lemonade and, like, a full bag of ice.

[Dory Shafrir]

Nice.

[Elise Hu]

And made some hooch, which gave me a pretty bad hangover the next day. And I'm sure I'm not the only one, but it ended up being a really good time. Very good times. We also made lovingly Jell O shots, which I couldn't remember how to make. And my little shot glasses, my little plastic shot containers were too fancy. And so it. Actually, I'm learning a lot now, 20 years out of college, and if you're gonna make jello shots, you actually need a kind of thin plastic, you know, because it needs to be able to squeeze. You need to be able to squeeze it to get the jello out of it. But if it's too well made and the plastic is thick, then you're having to separate, and then the jello doesn't come out completely and it might be wasted. So that's a note for next time. We also got a keg, which my friend Elsa, who had never tapped a keg before, didn't know how to use. Part of the tap broke. Okay? Yes, part of the tap broke into the ice. She Was like, all I did was study in college. I don't. I don't know this. So we had, like, a keg incident where it was leaking out of the tap because, oh, no, some of us didn't remember how to use the tap for a kegger or for a keg. But then that got fixed because my friend Nate, who grew up in Montana and has probably been hitting the keg since, like, very underaged, he was like, I got this. I got this. He fixed it right away, and it was really a great time. Everybody wore their college gear or whatever they wore in college. So my friend Matt was wearing, like, a fish T shirt and a super baggy jeans and a backwards baseball cap. And then my friend Meredith, who played volleyball in college, like, had her volleyball gear at her actual Penn volleyball gear. And a friend of mine had her, like, sorority cup from 1996. I cannot believe it survived that long.

[Dory Shafrir]

Wow.

[Elise Hu]

It was a really good theme. Yes. Yes. It was a very good theme. Good times had by all. And no incidents. Like, we didn't have any situations where anyone, like, passed out or the cops came, because that was also a hallmark of a college party. Luckily, none of the neighbors called the cops on us. There were no noise ordinance issues, no minor in possession of alcohol, Nothing like that. Because the Hugh family has certain certainly been through those. Not me personally, really. More Roger Hugh. I'm gonna pin this on my younger brother. Every year when the whole family gets together, we're like, what are all the times Roger got in trouble? So that's always a good time.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, my gosh.

[Elise Hu]

Anyway, yeah, you can check out. Check out some of the video from that on my TikTok. But, yeah, that was super fun. We missed you. Dory was a little under the weather, but we would have loved having you.

[Dory Shafrir]

I had a. I had, like, a stuffy nose, and I fully convinced myself that I had Covid.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, no.

[Dory Shafrir]

I was like, wait, have I lost my sense of smell?

[Elise Hu]

Oh, no.

[Dory Shafrir]

And then I was like, none of my. This is so me. I was putting my skin care on. It's like, I can't smell anything. And then I was like, wait, all of my products are unscented.

[Elise Hu]

You're not supposed to smell anything.

[Dory Shafrir]

Exactly. And then. So then I opened up this. This, like, product that got sent to me recently that I knew how to scent, like, an overpowering scent that I was like, oh, I don't think I can use this. And I could smell it. And I was like, oh, thank God. But you know when you just get like, I Had like fully started spiraling that like I had Covid and I wasn't be able to go to sectionals and I just was like totally in my head about all of it and I was like, I can't go to this party. So I was sorry to miss it.

[Elise Hu]

Your, your college, your, your alma mater was very well represented. I was surprised at how well represented it was. But that's because Rob's friends showed up and Rob went to Penn. And so yes, lots of those guys were there. And UCLA very well represented. One of my UCLA professor friends actually purposely wore some gear from like a university in Norway or something just because he knew that UCLA would be overrepresented. Stanford surprisingly well represented. So my whole approach on parties is like everybody's invited and just standing invitation. Like there's, there are times where like I can't get organized, you know, and I don't like individually text everybody and, but, but everybody is always invited. So like the, the dog walker came. The guy who takes the dog on long hikes.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh yes.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, he came and he was like, where's Oscar? Where's that bad boy?

[Dory Shafrir]

Where's that good bad boy?

[Elise Hu]

And I said, I said he was, I said obviously he couldn't be around because there was too much food.

[Dory Shafrir]

Right.

[Elise Hu]

But also he had just recently been hospitalized again for the third time. So he was, he was at a hotel.

[Dory Shafrir]

Elise, before we take a break, we got a couple of voicemails about micro joys that I wanted to play.

[Elise Hu]

Okay, great.

[Listener 1]

Hey Elise and Dory, I'm calling from Santa Cruz to share a micro joy that I have recently been using to get me through the days. I'm a mom of a five year old and a seven year old, so my life is pretty hectic and I work a full time job in government which is also very hectic. And one thing that I have really enjoyed doing in the mornings is put on spa music and then I just pretend I'm at the spa. It's like so nice to just go through a few minutes or even an hour of just work at home with just like calm, low vibration spa music in the background. Sometimes I listen to piano music, sometimes I listen to like the gentle voices. But it's just a nice way to make your brain and body relax a little bit when you're living through a very hectic world which we're all currently living in. Thank you so much.

[Elise Hu]

So simple. It's so simple and it can really calm your nervous system.

[Dory Shafrir]

I love anything that's like, it's like A spa in my house. I'm like, sign me up. Okay, next micro joy.

[Listener 2]

Hi Dorie and Elise. I just wanted to call and share a couple quick micro joys that I have. One is a surprise micro joy, which is when your podcast, not your podcast, but any podcast, goes to take an ad break and oopsies, there's no ads. What a micro. Another micro joy I've been enjoying lately is going back and listening to the oldest Forever 35 episodes, like from 2018, because I zipped through all your current ones so quickly. And it's really kind of fun to go back in time to a point where, you know, before Dori, you had Henry and honestly, before the pandemic kind of ruined everyone's well being. So anyway, thanks guys. Bye.

[Dory Shafrir]

So two things about this micro joy. One is it may be a micro joy for you when podcasts do not have ads, but it is not a micro joy for podcasters. However, if you do not like ads, there's a very simple solution on this podcast which is to join our Patreon, which has an ad free tier at $10. And then the other great thing about that, as this listener was talking about, there's more episodes to listen to. You get the whole back catalog of our Patreon episodes if you join our Patreon. So you get like two years worth of casual chats. You get pop culture episodes. Kate and I used to do this series called Product Rec. Those are on the older Patreon episodes. There's a lot of content on there, so I would suggest checking it out. And you know, you can be against ads on podcasts, I get it. But it is how podcasters keep the podcast going. So if you are not an ads person, just subscribe to our Patreon.

[Elise Hu]

The other thing that's really great about the Patreon casual chats, now that we're on this topic, is that it's kind of the more unfiltered. It's not only ad free, it's kind of filter free. Because we're just chatting casually. We talk a little bit more honestly and openly about a lot of the things that might not come up on the main shows. So if you are our parasocial friends or our real friends in real life, like catch up with the casual chat, it's great.

[Dory Shafrir]

Patreon.com Forever35 all right, before we take a break, just want to remind everyone our voicemail is 781-591-0390 and you can email us at forever35podcastmail.com you can visit our website forever35podcast.com we have links there to everything we mentioned on the show. We're on Instagram @forever35podcast. Our newsletter is @forever35podcast.com newsletter and you can shop our favorite products at shopmy us./forever35. And after the break we have a kind of serious question about how to talk to kids about death, but then also some stuff about chargers. So yeah, we can, we can take multitudes. All right, we'll be right back. With summer now in full swing, I feel that familiar urge to refresh my closet. But I'm trying not to waste money on pieces I'll only wear once or just for one season. Thanks to Quints, that's not really an issue anymore. Their clothes are timeless, feel luxurious, look elevated, and the quality is way beyond what you'd expect for the price. It's the kind of wardrobe upgrade that just clicks. I recently got their 100% organic cotton poplin pintuck maxi skirt in navy blue and when I tell you it felt a lot like a skirt I had tried on, that cost about five times the price. I'm not joking. I am really pleased with this purchase. I've already worn it a couple times and I plan on wearing it all summer. But everything with Quint is at least half the cost of similar brands. Think 100% European linen tops starting at $30, washable silk dresses and skir soft cotton sweaters. These are versatile warm weather pieces you'll reach for again and again by working directly with top artisans and cutting up the middlemen. Quints give you luxury without the markup, and Quints only works with factories that use safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. Give your summer closet an upgrade with quint. Go to quince.com forever35 for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com forever35 to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com forever35 just because you own a small business does not mean it's a small undertaking for us here at Forever 35, everything felt big, monumental, even down to the branding, the website, and especially when we decided to sell merch. The thing that helped me the most when all of these decisions began to feel daunting was knowing I had the right platform with all the tools I would need to be successful. Shopify Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. Tackle all the important tasks in one place. From inventory to payments to analytics and more. Shopify makes the marketing minefield easy with built in tools for running social media and email campaigns so you can find new customers and keep them. And if you're looking to grow your business internationally, Shopify has global selling tools to help you in over 150 countries. If in person is more your thing, Shopify's award winning point of sale connects your online and offline sales all in one place. With 99.99% uptime and the best converting checkout on the planet. You'll never miss a sale again. Only with Shopify. Get all the big stuff for your small business right with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.comfore35 Go to shopify.comfore35 shopify.comfore35 all right, we are back and we are going to kick things off with this rather somber but I think important question. So here we go.

[Listener 3]

Hi Dori and Elise, I was just listening to the podcast and you were talking about your trip to the funeral and how Henry didn't go, which I'm so sorry about your sister in law by the way. I was just curious. I also have a soon to be four year old and I was just curious if Henry had any questions about his aunt and how you're dealing with that at all. I'd be curious to hear about talking to children about what comes after death or I, I'm a little intimidated by it as I'm sure a lot of parents are. But yeah, I was just curious your thoughts. Thanks.

[Dory Shafrir]

Well, thank you for, for saying that about my sister in law. Henry did have some questions, but actually not as many questions as I thought he might have. You know, I said most of the time when we get sick we go to the doctor and you know, the doctor's able to help us get better. But sometimes, very rarely, you know, people aren't able to get better. And that is what happened to Aunt Allison. She had a sickness and she couldn't get better from it. And he was kind of like, but she didn't look sick because we hadn't really talked to him about the fact that she was sick because that just seemed like a lot for him to process and he was so little when she, you know, first got diagnosed that it was like not going to tell like a three year Old, you know what I mean? And, and so we had just never really talked about it. And he was like, but she didn't look sick. And I was like, yeah. You know, sometimes sickness is like on the insides of our bodies and you don't always see it on the outside.

[Elise Hu]

That's good.

[Dory Shafrir]

But, you know, so dad, you know, your dad and I might be kind of sad for the next few days or that, you know, that might be something that you see. And, and it was just kind of like, okay. And then he's like, sort of, he's like mentioned it again at like random times. Like he said, oh, well, mama, you can delete her text messages now because she's dead. And I was like, okay. Like this is how he's processing it.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

So, yeah, so I would say, you know, don't, like, obviously you're not gonna lie. But I, I, I, I tried to sort of explain things on a level that he would understand without over explaining and kind of following his lead about what he was curious about. Yeah, so that's, that's, that's what I would do with a four year old. I don't know. Elise, do you have anything you want to add?

[Elise Hu]

It totally depends on the age. Right. Age appropriateness is key. And with a four year old, there's the practical aspect and the emotional aspect. You know, the practical aspect being that death, what happens like when somebody dies. Right. Or an animal dies, is that all of our organs that are usually working stop working. Right. And so there's the practical aspect, then there's the emotional aspect, which it sounds like you talked about. There's a great board book about this. There's actually a great board book series that I'm now working for called A kids Company and I'll be hosting a podcast for them that's coming out later this fall. And the whole premise of this company and its line of books is that kids are ready, like kids are ready to talk about some thornier topics like death. And so there's actually a board book for about 5 year olds called A Kid's Book about Death. And I would recommend you if, if this is something that your child is getting curious about, I absolutely recommend this book. And just a whole series of books that comes out from a kids company. It's fantastic. And they also put out a newsletter and things. And this is not like a plug. This kind of came, came up organically from your question, but it occurred to me that there are, there are some great resources in this area. Thanks for the question.

[Dory Shafrir]

All right. Next, we got a text about a couple of things that we've been talking about lately. Here we go. One, yes to the Arizona resort culture. This came up because if my team wins the tennis tournament this weekend, we get to go to nationals, which are in Arizona. So Elise was talking about the joys of Scottsdale, Arizona. Yes, I'm in Tucson and we also have several great resorts. Weekend staycations are easy here and we can get great rates in the summer when tourism is low. Two, I'm 42 and also see the increase in obsessive diet culture coupled with the return of the diet pill. But now they seem to be marketed as perimenopause supplements to, quote, flush the weight gain.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, gosh.

[Dory Shafrir]

Social media tells me that calling it a diet is apparently old fashioned and the new term is a calorie deficit. What a weird rebrand.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, it's just rebranding a lot of these pro, you know, haunting behaviors totally many of us have had to live through. So, yeah, watch out for these rebrands.

[Dory Shafrir]

Stay alert, stay alert, stay vigilant. All right, one more voicemail. In this segment, I do really hope we make nationals. Not just because I want to make nationals, but because I want to go to Scottsdale and enjoy this, this spa culture. Okay, here we go.

[Krista]

Hey, Dori and Elise, it's your old pal Krista. Called in a few times. Dish towels, wildfires, things like that. I just wanted to call in about the charger dilemma in Elise's house. I feel you. And I also think that the previous listener who gave the recommendation about the location specific chargers is right on. That's awesome. I'm going to take it a little bit further because I have a teenage daughter, so. And Lise, you mentioned labels. Great idea. So you can. I started with this as well, but the charger nonetheless continued to disappear. So then I wrote do not remove and labeled the charger. And that was mildly effective for a little bit of time, but it continued to disappear from different locations chargers. And so then I wrote, if you remove this charger from this location, you will lose your phone for 24 hours. And that has been very effective. Only had to enforce it once. Chargers stay where they belong. So I just thought maybe at least you would enjoy that because I know you have teenagers as well. My daughter's lovely. They can sometimes be a bit self centered. So hope that helps friends. And as always, love the pod.

[Elise Hu]

That's great. That's great. I relish the opportunity to take away her phone. I love it. It gives me a power Trip. I love the power trip of it. I get drunk with power. I'm like, I got you now. You lose your phone. But I'm partially joking. But that is a good idea. It is quite a deterrent. Quite a deterrent. Okay, thanks for the tip.

[Dory Shafrir]

All right, we are going to take another short break. Hopefully there will be some ads and we'll be back with some. Yeah, for our sake, we'll be back with some Korean spa recommendations per a listener request. So we'll be right back.

[Elise Hu]

Hey, we'll be right back.

[Dory Shafrir]

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[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrir]

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[Listener 4]

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[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, we are back and we got a text from someone who wrote in recently asking for recommendations about what to do in LA for a couple of days. And Elise, I feel like you and I gave this listener many more recommendations than they could ever possibly do in two or three days but they are actually asking for more recommendations. They said, hey, thanks so much for the LA RECs. We are so excited to explore. Quick follow up since we Will definitely be exploring K town. Is there a Korean spa that you recommend? Thanks again. Love y' all in the pod.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, Dory, you had just had a girlfriend in town and y' all did a Korean spa day, right? Where did y' all go and did you like it?

[Dory Shafrir]

We. So we went to WI Spa, which is a nice. It's a good one to go to if you are a mixed gender group. We were not. But it's. It's open to men and women and some of the Korean spas are women only. WI Spa is great. It has like a bunch of saunas and like salt rooms and jade saunas. And then there's single sex areas too that are nude, that have like great pools and you can get services like I love the scrub there. There's also food there. The food's pretty good.

[Elise Hu]

Love the cafe there.

[Dory Shafrir]

There is a rooftop deck where people just kind of hang out. It's great. I think Wii Spa is great. That's. That's where I would. I would recommend. Do you have. Do you have any suggestions?

[Elise Hu]

We spa is so accessible for all ages too. They have like kids room.

[Dory Shafrir]

There's often kids there.

[Elise Hu]

You can also do a nice long layover in LA without spending the night in a hotel. If you want to just go straight to WI Spa and spend like your five to six hour layover at the Korean spa. Wiispa is available for that. There's a lot of Korean businessmen who do that.

[Dory Shafrir]

It's open 24 hours too and you can get an overnight pass and like literally just stay there for the night. People sleep on the mats.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah, you use it as an airport lounge, which makes sense because you're also getting a spa treatment at the same time and getting to relax. So we spa. Great. Very accessible. If you want to actually see we spa. Conan o' Brien and Steven Yun, who was on the Walking Dead at the time, but now has gone on to glow up in many other places. Conan o' Brien and Steven Yun did a series of WI Spa segments together and they are hilarious and delightful and so much fun. And hopefully we can link you to those. Those are shot at Wii Spa. The other one that I really like is called Spa la and you can find it on Yelp. You can find it online. Part of the reason I really like Spa LA is because it is in a shopping center where if you don't want to actually eat at the spa after you're done with your spa services, there's a great shabu shabu hot pot place. And I love hot Pot, like, that's one of my favorite kinds of cuisine. And it's called bone shabu. And bon shabu is right near Spa la, so you could kind of get a twofer out of it. So there's a few K town spa suggestions for you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Amazing. Okay, next. We got a text about Costco, but Costco in Canada bringing this full circle, though.

[Elise Hu]

We started with Costco and it's. We did and we're returning to Costco.

[Dory Shafrir]

This is serendipity. I was at Costco today and actually did buy some dog food there because I am sick of paying, like, so much money for Beau's food. This looks good. Anyway. Okay. Hi, Elise and Dory. I was at Costco in Vancouver, Canada yesterday and saw these amazing Costco food court themed dog toys. Thought you'd both get a kick out of these too. I have not seen these.

[Elise Hu]

Well, you know, I go to Costco just to eat lunch, so I. I love that food court. I my $50 hot dog meal. Hot dog and 20 ounce drink meal. Oh, look, they actually have a hot dog and a 20 ounce drink and the pizza.

[Dory Shafrir]

Do you think they're available in the US or just in Canada?

[Elise Hu]

I don't know, but I can get it delivered. It looks like you can buy it for $33.99. It's a Costco exclusive. There's five dog toys and one customizable Costco dog name tag. Wow, that's so cute. That's great.

[Dory Shafrir]

Oh, they do have it on the US site. And guess what? It's only 26.99.

[Elise Hu]

I love it. I'm gonna get.

[Dory Shafrir]

This is very cute.

[Elise Hu]

I'm sold. Sold.

[Dory Shafrir]

Thank you. Okay. And the last thing I want to bring up is that I have a Trader Joe's rack of a new product that I have been enjoying.

[Elise Hu]

Okay.

[Dory Shafrir]

And it is the Korean japchae fried rice.

[Elise Hu]

Japchae is a noodle. So they made the japchae into a fried rice.

[Dory Shafrir]

Correct. It's noodles and rice. It's so good.

[Elise Hu]

This is like when you go to Panda Express and they're like, do you want rice or do you want chow mein? And you get to say both.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

So you have the. You have two bases. You have two carb bases.

[Dory Shafrir]

Exactly. But the noodles are, like, cut up, so they're smaller. And there's a lot of veggies. I put an egg in it. Like, it's really good. So that is my Trader Joe's wreck for the week.

[Elise Hu]

Thank you. Thank you. I'm really thrilled. I have, like, so much more spare time this week because the kids are at sleepaway camp, which we can talk about for next Monday's episode. But what am I gonna do with myself this week? I have like so many free hours in the day. Totally probably get up to no good. That's what I'm gonna do.

[Dory Shafrir]

But we'll see. Okay, well, Elise, yes, it's been a pleasure. Thanks everyone for listening and we'll talk to you soon.

[Elise Hu]

Talk to you next time.

[Dory Shafrir]

Bye.

[Elise Hu]

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[Listener 4]

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