Loading summary
Commercial Narrator
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows home, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download today only.
Dory Shafrir
Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile will give you a free year of service. Free year when you buy a new 5G phone.
Commercial Narrator
New 5G phone.
Dory Shafrir
Enough.
Elise Hu
But I'm your hype man. When you purchase an eligible device, you get $25 off every month for 12 months. Credits totaling one year of free service. Taxes extra for the device and service plan.
Commercial Narrator
Online only.
Dory Shafrir
Hello and welcome to Forever 35, 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. We're 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
I have a serum related question because I was at Sephora the other day and they are doing this empties collection, like where you can bring your empties to Sephora and get them upcycled or something. What do you usually do with your empties?
Dory Shafrir
I put them in the recycling bin.
Elise Hu
I guess the question is like, is there any value to these programs? Like I remember Mac Makeup used to do this where if you brought six empties back to the store or the counter or whatever, they would give you a free lipstick. Like, are. Is there value to these programs? Are they getting upcycled in a way that's like better or more sustainable for the environment? I have no idea. I just saw that Sephora was collecting them and I'm like, oh, do I want to just make a pile of these or.
Dory Shafrir
I think if they're actually reusing them, then yeah, that's great. Yeah, I don't, I have no idea. I've not heard of this program. So I, I can't speak to it. But I mean, I think reuse is like the best, like the most environmentally conscious thing to do.
Elise Hu
Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
Because as we've learned, recycling is like dubious right at Best.
Elise Hu
At best.
Dory Shafrir
At best in a lot of cases. So I think reuse. I mean, I've always thought as I like, throw out yet another little, like vitamin C, you know, little bottle with a dropper, I'm like, if I had a use for this, I would do it. But I'm not gonna, like, I feel like I already am like a borderline hoarder. I'm not going to start hoarding empty vitamin C bottles, you know, so. Yeah, I mean, you could ask.
Elise Hu
I didn't look too closely at this program. I just noticed there was kind of a box and they were inviting people to drop things off. But maybe if we get like free samples or minis, you know, then it, it will incentivize me to do it. But you're right. In order for me to bring in a bunch of empties, then I have to pile them up first in my house.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah. And also, I mean, like, not to be that annoying person, but free samples and minis are like the worst.
Elise Hu
It's more stuff.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah. And it's like small amounts.
Voicemail Caller
Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
So it's like even more waste. So they're sort of like.
Elise Hu
Yeah. In order to get you to.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah.
Elise Hu
Bring waste.
Dory Shafrir
Right. Like, the best, the best scenario, I think is if they encourage you to bring in your empties that you could then refill, like the bulk section at Whole Foods. Right, right. You know, you just like dispense some vitamin C serum or some moisturizer and go home with your, with your refilled, you know, cosmetics. That to me would be, you know, the, the most environmentally conscious.
Elise Hu
Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
Scenario.
Elise Hu
Yeah. You know, those little Touchland hand sanitizers. I could just keep my Touchland hand sanitizer, spray, just one, you know, spray bottle of it or whatever, and just refill it over and over.
Dory Shafrir
Right.
Elise Hu
That would be the ideal scenario. Instead of buy new Touchlands.
Dory Shafrir
Exactly. And I know there are there store, I think it's in Highland park in Los Angeles that does this for like household goods. Like you can go there and like refill for your like, dishwashing detergent. I have not seen anyone do this for cosmetics. I assume because they make more money just like reselling the, the individuals. But yeah, to me, I mean, I, I admire the intent, but to me, coming in with your like empty moisturizer jar and leaving with six samples doesn't.
Elise Hu
Really like, it's undermining the point.
Dory Shafrir
It's not a net positive in my opinion. But.
Elise Hu
And just to be fair, I don't know if that's how the Program works. We're just musing here. I need to look at this more.
Dory Shafrir
Carefully and I don't mean to be like a Debbie Downer, but like that, that is what like popped into my head because I know I have like a, like a little container of a gajillion samples of stuff like sample size things that I will probably never use. It feels very wasteful. I know it's wasteful. I don't know.
Elise Hu
It's very good for travel size. Yeah, travel size things. I use a lot of my minis and my samples for trap, like for travel because I'm like, oh, I haven't tried this for. And it's a great. And it's small and compact and I try not to bring liquids, so that's what those are great for. But we have probably way more samples than trips that you would need.
Dory Shafrir
I don't mean to sound like self righteous because I'm not. And I'm not saying I do this perfectly either, but like again, the best way to do that is to have little containers of your own and like decant your bigger things. Exactly. Little containers. Exactly. Like sample. The sample ecosystem is terrible. Do I engage in it? Yes. I engage in all of this consumerist stuff. Do I feel guilty about it? Yeah, kind of.
Elise Hu
I get it, I get it.
Dory Shafrir
But I just don't want listeners to be like, wait, they're advocating for us to get a million samples? Because I mean, that is not really what I'm advocating for. And I do want to just like make it clear that I am aware of the waste that all of this generates. But I am also not a perfect person. I do have a travel size, you know, I have a travel size native deodorant that is approximately. I mean, you can't. Listeners, you can't see what I'm holding up. But it is like this big. It's so tiny. Like, there must be a better way. But it's hard to like decant deodorant.
Elise Hu
Right, right. That one is tricky. That one is uniquely trick tricky. I think.
Dory Shafrir
Anyway, I don't know, it's like the same thing. When I see like madewell doing like jeans recycling, I'm like, where are the jeans going?
Elise Hu
Where do the jeans go? That's actually a good question. Because I have all these jeans on hand right now that I was trying to sell to Crossroads yesterday and they weren't trendy enough so I couldn't get the resale shop to buy them. And now I'm like, what am I gonna do with these jeans?
Dory Shafrir
Oh, interesting. Okay. They weren't trendy enough. Meaning, like, were they all, like, skinny jeans?
Elise Hu
I don't know. They're Rob's jeans. And I don't know what to do with them now because they. So last time I was at Crossroads, they said, hey, we need more men's things. We need men's street wear. We need just, like, men's clothes. And we're more likely to take men's clothes or buy men's clothes off of you because we have so much more women's stuff. And so I was like, great. Rob has a ton of jeans, you know, and he dress as well. And so great, I'll bring them in. And they were like, these are very nice jeans. They're good and they're good quality, but they're not the fit that we want for the fall.
Dory Shafrir
Interesting. Did they. And they did, but they didn't say what the fit is that they want for the fall.
Elise Hu
I have no idea. No, they didn't. But I. I should have asked more questions. I was just like, okay, whatever. And now I'm gonna deal with my pile of jeans. Maybe I'll give them to madewell, but where do they go?
Dory Shafrir
Right. And here's the other thing. Sorry, I'm in a mood today. But, like, it's a little rich for Crossroads, which a company that sells used clothing to be like, these jeans are not on trend. Are they just expecting people to buy trendy jeans and then bring them to Crossroads? Because that makes no sense. Of course the jeans you're bringing in are not on trend. They're old. You're getting rid of them. That doesn't make any sense.
Elise Hu
Like, I love. I love salty Dory.
Dory Shafrir
I am so salty.
Elise Hu
You're saying you're really speaking some truth. This is all logical.
Dory Shafrir
Like, it feels unrealistic for Crossroads to be. Like, we only accept the most on trend clothing. Like, how would that be possible? Like, I bought something last week and I decided I don't want it anymore.
Elise Hu
Like, that's pretty much. Pretty much.
Dory Shafrir
I mean, God.
Elise Hu
Whatever happened to the idea of vintage?
Dory Shafrir
Exactly. So I guess it either has to be, like, super on trend. Like, literally, you bought it three weeks ago, and you suddenly, you took the tags off and wore it, and you decided you don't like it, then you bring it to Crossroads. Okay. Or it's so old that it has now come back around. Like, if you had any of your, like, low rise jeans from 2004, they would probably take them.
Elise Hu
Yep. Tell us what you all do with your empties and your old jeans. What do you do with them? Let us know. Call in, write in.
Dory Shafrir
Yes.
Elise Hu
As this is a mini app.
Dory Shafrir
This is a mini up. Well, Elise, we're gonna take a break before we do that. Just a reminder. You can call or text us at 781-591-0390. You can email us at forever35podcastmail.com Our website is forever35podcast.com. We have links there to everything we mentioned on the show. We are on Instagram @forever35podcast. You can sign up for our newsletter@forever35podcast.com Newsletter and our favorite products that may or may not become empties are shopmyus/forever35. One last thing about empties before we move on. Hopefully forever is I will say like I would rather have something emptied. Like I would rather be like oh I used all of this than to have like 20 bottles of like half used things scattered about. Like at least when you finish something you're like oh, I, I like used all of this also.
Elise Hu
It's a much better value to get the larger size.
Dory Shafrir
Yes.
Elise Hu
So the per ounce cost or the per unit cost is always totally better if you just go ahead and buy more.
Dory Shafrir
Yes. And there are some companies that sell refill things for their. I don't like moisturizers especially. I've noticed like Skin Fix sells a refill thing for their, their moisturizer and I just got some stuff from Dr. Whitney Bose line of products and she also has a refill thing. I mean the refill, it's still not like the bulk section in Whole Foods. It's still that you're putting in plastic. I have started using bar soap again though. That is my one contribution to this like avalanche of plastic in my life.
Elise Hu
Take a stand bar.
Dory Shafrir
So I am taking a stand and that stand is bar soap. All right, we are going to take a break as promised and we'll be back. We have some stuff about school self care. We also have a question that I was going to read before the break. I'm going to read it after the break. It might also send me into another existential spiral. So you have that to look forward to.
Elise Hu
Stay tuned. Tuned everyone. Okay, we'll be right back.
Commercial Narrator
Think enterprise software is too costly, too complex and takes too long to get up and running? Think again. Workday Go makes simplifying your small or mid sized business simple. HR and finance together on one powerful AI platform right at your fingertips. Workday Go gets you live fast and fits the needs of your business. Find out what workday go can do for you.
Go with workday go avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows home, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros and see price estimates and read reviews all on the app download. Today.
Dory Shafrir
We are back and we got this text that said, hi there. This might not be appropriate to ask. I love a text.
Elise Hu
That's. Go for it. Yes. Yeah, when you start with that, I'm like, do tell.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah. Slash. No worries if you aren't comfortable discussing it. Side note, this is for me. Now. You caught me on a day where I am comfortable discussing it because I am apparently, like on one today, so here we go. But Dory, I know there were a couple years there where you were mentioning your precarious financial situation with Matt being out of work, et cetera. It seems as though things have changed, and I'm curious if that is true. And how did Matt get a job? Is the podcast providing a better living for you? I'm always curious how everyone makes ends meet. Thanks. No, I just sort of stopped talking about it because I thought it was really boring and like, depressing to just always be like, we have no money. I need a job help. So I was like, I'm just gonna not talk about this for a while. But no, things did have not gotten better. Matt still does not have a job. The podcast brings in some money, but not enough. And I wake up every morning with existential dread. So that's how things are going. Thanks for asking, Dory.
Elise Hu
It really is on one today.
Dory Shafrir
You know, I got. I had like. I was asked to audition for this podcast and I found out today that I didn't get it. And I was like, what the fuck?
Elise Hu
Like, audition. Tell me more. So you do like a. Like a fake episode or a fake read or something?
Dory Shafrir
Yeah, we had. I had to do a read, like they said. They gave me a script and they paid me for the read.
Elise Hu
Oh, that's good. That's good.
Dory Shafrir
I appreciated. But yeah, they were like, sorry. And you know, it's just like, rough.
Elise Hu
That's demoralizing. Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
What am I doing? Like what? Like what. What am I capable of doing? Oh, I don't know. So I just didn't think it was like, that engaging. To always be bemoaning my financial situation. So that's why it seems like things may have improved because I stopped talking about it. But no, things are very bad and I think we might have to leave la. And yeah, I don't really, I don't really see a way out.
Elise Hu
So did I tell you about that time I was sitting at dinner with like two doctors and a lawyer, Everybody had advanced degrees, had like done all the things that you're supposed to do except lived in la. And everybody was like, I'm so poor I can't make ends meet. And it's like, you guys are really learned and educated and high achieving people and yet it's so expensive to live here and, and to a person they were like, man, I'd be like a gazillionaire if I just lived in Utah or something. But then, you know, then you have to live in another state and uproot your life and all of these things. So it's just.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah, I don't. And like, I don't really. It's not that I don't want to do that. It's that I don't know that things would like necessarily be better. I think that's why we've like held off on doing that. But yeah, I am sort of like at a point where I'm like, I don't, I don't know, I don't, I don't have a. I don't have an answer.
Elise Hu
Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
And I'm like kind of making light on it, but making light of it. But it's actually like a very serious and scary situation that I am constantly worried about. So thanks for asking. Moving on. This is from Molly in West Virginia who says. Hi, Dorn, Elise. Can I pitch a great co working space? It's your local library. Membership is free. Lots of different space options depending on the size of your library. Although I don't know of any with infrared saunas. That's fair. I'm on the board of our small rural library and it's become a space for many folks to work. We offer WI Fi friendly librarians and comfortable tables and chairs. We need our community members using and supporting libraries. Amen.
Elise Hu
That's such an important reminder. Such an important reminder. Rob works at the library. He like, writes and takes calls and things at the library, both in Scottsdale when he's there with the boys and here in la. And he's super. He's like one of those guys who gets really, really excited when the hold ends early on. Libby, you know he's like a big library guy and. Yeah, and I support it. You know, I support the LA Public Library with a monthly donation but I don't work from there, so maybe I should try. I have this idea of the library as being a place where I can't talk ever. And I'm so social that I've been looking for co working spaces where I run into people and just like waste time shooting the at the cafe. And that's why I don't work at the library as much. But Rob likes to have focus time to get into the flow when he's writing and so the library works better for him.
Dory Shafrir
You know, you might enjoy the West Hollywood library.
Elise Hu
Oh really? I've never been.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah, it's a little far for you, but they have a park okay right there that you can like go outside and hang out and there's little, they have like tables and umbrellas and you can hang out there. And I think they also have a cafe in the library.
Elise Hu
Fancy.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah. And the library itself is really nice. I love, I love that library. It's really, it's, it's a beautiful, great library.
Elise Hu
Awesome. Okay, so good tip.
Dory Shafrir
If you are in the Los Angeles area, check it out. All right, you know what? We did not get to everything I wanted to talk about in this segment because I was ranting again. So we are going to take another break and we will be right back.
Elise Hu
The kids are off to school and I'm left feeling that nostalgia of a fresh start to the school year. The urge to learn something new. Thankfully, I don't have to do anything more than just open up my master classes app and hop into a lesson about my skin from the original series skin Health with Dr. Sherene Idris. It's 10 minutes. I learned something new about how to care for the largest organ on our bodies and satisfy that urge to learn without the nuisance of actually going back to school. With Masterclass, you can learn from the best to become your best. With plans starting at $10 a month build annually, you'll get unlimited access to over 200 plus classes taught by the world's best business leaders, writers, chefs and more. With Masterclass, you get thousands of bite sized lessons across 13 categories that can fit into even the busiest of schedules. Right now, our listeners get an additional 15 off any annual membership@masterclass.com forever35 plus every new membership comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, so there's no risk. That's 15 off@masterclass.com forever35 masterclass.com forever35.
Commercial Narrator
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows home so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte, paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app Download today.
Dory Shafrir
All right, we are back. Elise, do you want to read this? This response from a listener about school self care.
Elise Hu
Yeah, this led to our question about school self care or one of our listeners questions about school self care in a recent episode led to a couple responses from y'. All. So the first one is hi Dori and Elise. For the listener asking for self care tips about working in a school setting, here are my tips and what brought me some comfort when I worked in school. One is an electric kettle and tea bag station. Climate control is all over the place in school buildings and sometimes it is freezing. A hot mug of tea was a nice little happy. I had the tea bags out of their boxes in a small container, so I had lots of options to pick from and restock the basket as needed. On the same station I had a few small metal spray bottles that I filled with essential oils. Dilute a certain number of drops of essential oils with water. The other tips are extra sweater and deodorant in the desk drawer and string lights. The fluorescent lighting in schools is harsh. Good luck. These are so homey and cozy. I like it. Good point about it being freezing too.
Dory Shafrir
I love string lights. What a cute idea.
Elise Hu
Yeah.
Dory Shafrir
Okay, we also got a voicemail about school self care that I will play.
Voicemail Caller
Hi, this message is for the individual who called in about switching from clinical speech therapy to the educational setting. I'm pursuing going back to school for OT or speech. But I'm currently a para educator in an inclusive fellow educator and I work real close with service provider language pathologist. And it is true healthcare is so important in the educational way because you know, we care about these kids and families a lot. But we're human and we have to take care of ourselves. I personally definitely take my lunch and I try to go in a quiet place or go outside. I know the speech therapist that I work with does the same and also you know, ask for help. You know, talk to the para educators. They have a wealth of information about the students they're working with. So that's like some anecdotal data Right there. That could help you get started. And I've heard that caseload can be.
Dory Shafrir
Big.
Voicemail Caller
So I know that working with the IEP can help you get, like, creative and providing services, maybe in small groups or working with a paraeducator to train them on certain things. Obviously I'm a para, so I don't know what the, like, all the legal rules are, but those are just some things that I see for my role there and creating systems. Educators are all about creating efficient systems, so that's what I would do. That's like self care, you know, you can't do it all, but you can have a system in place to kind of help you do as much as you can. Good luck. And I think you'll really like it. It's really great to be working with the kids in school setting and.
Elise Hu
Yeah.
Voicemail Caller
Good luck.
Dory Shafrir
Good tips.
Elise Hu
Good tips. It's wild to think we're already like in the fifth week of school here in la.
Dory Shafrir
I know. We're like, well into the school year.
Elise Hu
Yeah. Yeah. They had a progress report already from Ava's middle school.
Dory Shafrir
So crazy.
Elise Hu
Here we are. Time flies. Time really flies by for me around Labor Day because I just watch the US Open every single day and then I don't pay attention to anything else. And suddenly three weeks have gone by and my hermit crab is dead. Oh, by the way, I got a hermit crab for Cece. This is my life update. I got, you know, Cece, my one hermit crab that we got for Luna's birthday that one of her friends gifted her without consulting me.
Dory Shafrir
First love when that happens.
Elise Hu
Cece, the hermit crab I've been keeping alive and managing the crabitat for. Finally I decided or Rob got really sad. He's sensitive soul, and he got really sad that cece was alone and was like, I really think Cece needs a friend. And that poor crab, you know, probably doesn't want to be in captivity in the first place. And it's alone all day. And so then I got another crab. I got Pepper, who was really cute in a little skull shell. Like, the shell was a skull, which was painted as a skull. And it was really cute. And I was like, oh, Pepper rocks. And then Pepper passed, like four days after he came home.
Dory Shafrir
Oh, no. Pepper.
Elise Hu
We didn't even get to know Pepper. Yeah, I don't know if Pepper, like, took a fall or something, because I saw his claw outside his body and I freaked out and.
Dory Shafrir
Oh, no.
Elise Hu
Yeah, didn't make it. Yeah, I know. So. But Cici's doing great, so maybe I shouldn't be introducing new crabs to the Crabitat. I don't know what made me think of that.
Dory Shafrir
Sorry. Oh, man.
Elise Hu
Sorry. I just went on a little tangent myself. Yeah, no, just the time is flying by, you know, Suddenly we're at September. It's like, what. What is happening? I feel like. Yeah, it goes by so fast and then each. Right, right. Longest, shortest time, as they say.
Dory Shafrir
They do say that. All right, so we did get some laser hair removal content that we are going to move to next week. But before we go, we did get a really important question that I feel we must address.
Elise Hu
Okay.
Dory Shafrir
Which is, I think the better question. And this is referring to what is the best JLO movie? As you recall, we had this conversation. Yeah, I think the better question is, what's the best JLO song? Obviously, Waiting For Tonight.
Elise Hu
Waiting for Tonight is a good one. And then it has that video where she's like, just staring straight ahead in the camera and then there was the lights in the background and la, la, la. I like Waiting For Tonight, but it's not my favorite. What's yours?
Dory Shafrir
I do like on the Floor.
Elise Hu
On the Floor. Trying to remember this one.
Dory Shafrir
Get Away is on the Floor.
Elise Hu
Is on the Floor from On the Six, her first album.
Dory Shafrir
No, it's from 2011. I like. I mean, Jenny was more recent. A classic.
Elise Hu
Iconic, Right? Iconic. That video, too, with Ben Affleck in it. I like a more obscure one. Yeah, I was going to say, I like let's Get Loud. That's my favorite one. It makes me very happy. It reminds me of the Ricky Martin era. Era. And.
Dory Shafrir
Yeah, big Ricky Martin vibes.
Elise Hu
Totally, totally. I. In my high school modeling days, I remember I walked to that song for a charity Runway show with dogs. Like, everybody had dog. Like every model who had to walk had a dog with them. And that was. And I remember it ended. The music at the end of the show was like, let's get Loud. Some of your memories are so tied into smells and songs, you know, and so that's what makes it really think of it. And it was really fun because otherwise I didn't really enjoy, you know, having to wear clothes and walk in front of people. That wasn't really my thing. I didn't like, like the Runway stuff, you know, I occasionally had to do it.
Dory Shafrir
Modeling. Model.
Elise Hu
Yes, the modeling part of modeling. No, I only like the pictures part. Like, that I could do where you're kind of alone with the photographer. But yeah, the. The modeling clothes part was very uncomfortable for me. So, yeah, that actually I had very stressful. I had fun because there were dogs. But yes, waiting for tonight. A good one. Not my favorite, but everybody has their own favorite.
Dory Shafrir
Bruno's their own favorite. It's true.
Elise Hu
I'm not gonna malign anyone else's.
Dory Shafrir
All right, everyone, thank you so much for listening and for sending in your questions. We appreciate you and we will talk to you soon. Take care.
Elise Hu
Talk to you next time. Bye.
Dory Shafrir
Bye.
Commercial Narrator
When you're a forward thinker, you don't just bring your A game, you bring your AI game. Workday is the AI platform that transforms the way you manage your people, money and agents so you can transform tomorrow Workday, moving business forever forward.
Nicole Byer
Hey, everybody, it's Nicole Byer here with some hot takes from Wayfair. A cozy corduroy sectional from Wayfair. Yeah, that's a hot take. Go on and add it to your cart and take it. A pink glam night stand from Wayfair. Scalding hot take. Take it before I do. A mid century modern cabinet from Wayfair that doubles as a wine bar. Do I have to say it? It's a hot take. Get it@wayfair.com and enjoy that free shipping, too.
Dory Shafrir
Wayfair, every style, every home.
Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu
In this mini-episode, hosts Doree and Elise field listener questions and discuss self-care with their signature blend of humor and candidness. Topics include the eco-impact of beauty product empties, the realities of secondhand clothing markets, financial vulnerability, school-year self-care strategies for educators, using local libraries as coworking spaces, and a lighthearted debate on the best J.Lo song. Doree notably “takes a stand” on bar soap, and both hosts embrace the messiness and imperfect realities of modern self-care and sustainability.
00:59 – 06:43: The discussion opens with the latest in-store sustainability efforts—Sephora’s “empties” recycling program. Elise wonders whether these initiatives meaningfully contribute to sustainability or just offer more “stuff.” Doree shares her own skepticism about their environmental impact.
Doree’s Sustainability Practice:
07:28 – 10:06: The hosts reflect on the secondhand clothing market, focusing on Doree’s skepticism about trends at Crossroads and Madewell’s jeans recycling. Elise tried to sell her husband’s “very nice jeans” but was rejected for being “not trendy enough.”
Listener Call to Action: They ask listeners to share what they do with their “empties” and old clothes, refusing to buy into unsatisfying industry narratives without input from the community.
14:01 – 17:36: Doree addresses a listener's question about her family’s financial wellbeing, offering rare transparency.
22:05 – 25:49: In response to a previous listener's question on self-care for school professionals, listeners write and call in with practical advice:
Voicemail highlight:
“…Creating systems…that’s like self care, you know, you can't do it all, but you can have a system in place…” — Voicemail Caller (25:36)
17:36 – 20:24: Molly from West Virginia champions the public library as an ideal, free coworking space—reminding listeners of its Wi-Fi, supportive staff, and diverse amenities.
Doree recommends the West Hollywood library for LA locals, noting its café and adjacent park.
26:02 – 27:29: Elise details a brief saga with her child's hermit crab, peppering the episode with her familiar mix of emotion and wry observation.
28:19 – 30:27: A listener stirs debate over the “best J.Lo song.” The hosts enthusiastically throw out their favorites, grounding them in personal memories.
The segment closes on a note of lightness and shared nostalgia.
On Sustainability:
On Secondhand Markets:
On Financial Transparency:
On Self-Care:
On J.Lo:
| Start Time | Segment | |------------|---------| | 00:48 | Show proper begins; Empties & recycling programs | | 02:21 | Doubts about recycling; Value of reusing containers | | 06:17 | Personal feelings on “sample ecosystem” waste | | 07:28 | Clothing resale & “on trend” conundrum | | 14:01 | Doree's financial transparency; Career update | | 17:36 | Public libraries as co-working spaces | | 22:05 | Listener self-care tips for school settings | | 23:19 | Voicemail: OT and school self-care | | 28:19 | Listener J.Lo song question; Nostalgia & music |
The episode is intimate, confessional, and dryly funny, with both hosts embracing the imperfect realities of “wellness” and adulting. Doree is strikingly honest—at times “on one” and “salty”—while Elise offers empathy, gentle humor, and a thoughtful baseline of curiosity.
This episode is a quintessential slice of Forever35: relatable messiness, community-driven self-care, and an ability to balance laughter, emotional honesty, and practical takeaways in equal measure. Regular listeners will appreciate Doree’s candor, Elise’s warmth, and the community’s ever-thoughtful contributions.
For more details, questions, or to share your own self-care hacks, visit forever35podcast.com or email the hosts at forever35podcastmail.com.