Forever35 Mini-Episode 466: Time For A Second Act

Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu

Episode Overview

In this mini-episode, Doree and Elise field listener questions and discuss a wide range of issues related to self-care, aging, and navigating life changes—including family visits, travel woes, multigenerational living, towel recommendations, executive function in kids, care packages for IVF, burnout and career shifts, and the latest in anti-aging skincare trends. True to form, the conversation flows with their signature warmth, humor, and a dose of real talk about life’s transitions.

Family Visits and Traveling Woes (01:26–07:21)

• Doree recaps her parents’ recent visit from Boston and the challenges of hosting in a smaller home.
• Elise shares travel frustrations through a story about a friend’s uncomfortable cross-country flight—middle seat woes, plane etiquette, and the lack of in-flight amenities on long domestic flights.
• Discussion of how exhausting east-to-west flights are, especially with time zone changes and tight turnarounds for older parents.

Notable Quote:
“I agree with him. You are supposed to give the middle yield, right? Yeah, you are supposed to do that. So, I mean, he's in the right there. I agree with your friend. That is like basic. That is basic plane etiquette.”
— Doree Shafrir (04:41)

Multigenerational Living & Listener Feedback (07:24–10:45)

• A listener critiques a recent episode for overlooking multigenerational households as an option for elder care.
• Elise and Doree reflect on the realities, privileges, and challenges of having parents move in—particularly given issues like dementia and the need for round-the-clock professional care.
• They discuss the prohibitive costs of both in-home care and memory care facilities, highlighting that neither option is straightforward or universally accessible.

Notable Quotes:
“In Vanessa's defense, she lives in New York City—a notoriously difficult place to have extra space. So I actually find this text to be a little bit of, like, space privilege. Your space privilege is showing…”
— Doree Shafrir (08:28)

“So many of these memory care facilities are like, minimum, what, like $8,000 a month… And then you have to pay for, like, caregivers too…”
— Elise Hu (09:22)

Bath Towel Recommendations (10:47–12:58)

• A listener requests bath towel recommendations.
• Elise recommends Onsen towels (“like the Japanese spa”), particularly for their quality and durability, though acknowledges the cost is high for outfitting an entire household.
• Doree notes she has no recommendations because she dislikes her own towels.

Timestamp:
[11:07] Listener question
[12:22] Onsen recommendation

Executive Function in Kids (16:38–22:46)

• Two voicemails from educational professionals underline the increasing importance of teaching executive functioning skills from a young age.
• Advice includes creating specific, color-coded, task-oriented checklists for kids (like packing tags for activities) and resisting the urge to step in and solve problems for children.
• Both hosts reflect on the tension between not “hovering” and knowing when to intervene—especially during kids’ sporting events or when injuries might occur.

Notable Quotes:
“If we don't get to them until they're 13 or 14, it's a lot harder than if parents are doing that all along. So thank you to all the parents out there who are making efforts…”
— Nora, Educational Correspondent (19:06)

“In those immediate moments, you always wonder… in general, I agree that yes, obviously, try and not hover over your kids. When you're worried they're injured is the point where I'm like, when am I supposed to… would it be helpful if I got up? Probably not.”
— Elise Hu (21:35)

IVF Care Package Ideas (22:51–25:17)

• Listener Ashley requests ideas for an IVF care package for her sister-in-law.
• Doree suggests distractions (books, cozy items), while Elise recommends sending meals periodically to lighten the load.
• Both stress the importance of emotional support over frequent check-ins about results: let the person going through IVF set the tone for updates.

Notable Advice:
“It’s less of a gift in a care package, but it certainly is a way to show you care.”
— Elise Hu about arranging meal deliveries (24:38)

Burnout, Career Changes, and Second Acts (29:20–32:41)

• A listener asks for advice about switching careers without expensive retraining or side hustles, especially in the face of burnout, and what to do if a partner isn't supportive of taking a break or pay cut.
• Elise and Doree candidly acknowledge the complexity and individuality of such transitions, with Elise sharing anecdotes about friends seeking a "second act" and the realities of luck and timing in entrepreneurial reinventions.

Notable Quote:
“So much of this is just luck and timing and backing… No easy answers.”
— Elise Hu (32:01–32:41)

Skincare Trends: Exosomes & Growth Factors (32:41–35:13)

• A listener requests insight into exosomes and growth factors in anti-aging serums—are they a scam or a breakthrough?
• Neither host can provide definitive advice (they aren’t chemists or dermatologists). Doree references mixed reports online, noting that professional-grade treatments might be a different category than OTC products.
• They plan to raise the question with dermatology experts in a future episode.

Notable Quotes:
“I don't know enough about this. I'm not like a chemist…”
— Elise Hu (33:01)

“I don't know the answer. Jury is out. If you have professional thoughts on this, expert thoughts, let us know and we will also do some investigating.”
— Doree Shafrir (34:24)

Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

• The episode captures the spirit of midlife check-ins—delighting in small pleasures (towels, cozy mysteries), wrestling with big transitions (career changes, family care), and tackling practicalities with humor and realness.
• Doree and Elise invite ongoing listener engagement, particularly for crowd-sourced recommendations (towels, IVF care packages, and skincare experiences).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Family Visits & Plane Etiquette: [01:26–07:21]
• Multigenerational Households & Elder Care: [07:24–10:45]
• Bath Towel Recommendations: [10:47–12:58]
• Executive Function in Kids: [16:38–22:46]
• IVF Care Package Ideas: [22:51–25:17]
• Burnout & Career Changes (“Second Act”): [29:20–32:41]
• Skincare Science: Exosomes & Growth Factors: [32:41–35:13]

Tone:
Conversational, warm, humorous, and reflective—staying true to Doree and Elise’s style.

Memorable Closing:
“I don’t know the answer. Jury is out… If you have professional thoughts on this, expert thoughts, let us know and we will also do some investigating.”
— Doree (34:24)

For More:
Listeners can contribute recommendations, questions, or feedback at 781-591-0390 or forever35podcastmail.com.

Useful for:
Anyone interested in adulting, self-care, navigating midlife changes, or simply enjoying the reliably relatable perspective of Forever35.