Mini-Ep 490: Lucky In Living

Summary

Forever35 – Mini-Ep 490: Lucky In Living
April 29, 2026
Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu

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Episode Overview

In their final episode under the "mini" format, Doree and Elise address listener questions on everything from night creams and gratitude practices to quitting coffee, group dynamics, and shopping habits. They share personal stories, practical self-care tips, and crowd-source input from their lively audience. The episode balances humor, honesty, and relatable anecdotes, exploring how small choices and community connection can lead to “lucky living.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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Changes to Minisodes & Listener Interaction

[02:13-04:08]

• Hosts announce this is their last "mini episode." Listener Q&A and feedback will shift to longer, biweekly "mailbag" or feedback episodes.
• Open call for name suggestions for these new episodes.
  • Quote: "We need to name Our mailbag episodes." – Elise Hu (02:39)

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Elise’s Intense TED Week

[04:25-09:52]

• Elise reflects on interviewing several "geniuses" at TED Vancouver, including:
  • A record-breaking deep-sea diver ("the Deepness")
  • "The guy who mapped all the history of sound on Earth"
  • An astronomer (Mark from the University of Virginia) who can "see the Big Bang."
  • Quote: "If you look really, really, really far away, then that means you're looking really, really, really far back in time. So if you have a really good telescope... that’s why I can see the Big Bang." – Elise recounting Mark's explanation (06:13)
• Elise also interviewed Ann Patchett, who spoke about her love of reading and why she’s glad she never had kids.
  • Quote: "I'm so glad I never had kids... I’ve always known myself." – Ann Patchett, via Elise (08:38)

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Listener Reflection: Traveling for Kids

[10:07-11:33]

• A Peruvian listener shares the impact of experiencing Machu Picchu as a child and the educational value of travel for children.
  • Memorable Moment: Warm encouragement for parents to expose children to different cultures, even via books or conversation.
  • Quote: "I've never learned more about the world and its people than in those rural/adventurous trips." (11:12)

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Group Dynamics: Inclusivity in Parents’ Groups

[13:40-17:44]

• Voicemail respondent suggests ways to enhance inclusion in parents’ playgroups:
  • Create newcomer-specific groups or age-based subgroups for easier connection.
  • Offer newcomers’ discounts or first-timer sessions.
  • Quote: "If you have kids the same age... it’s easier to break the ice." – Listener (15:32)
• Elise ties this to research by Nicholas Epley (forthcoming TED Talk): Human happiness increases through talking to strangers, despite our bias to expect negative outcomes.
  • Quote: "We are biased to fear having these conversations... but we have to kind of overcome that bias." – Elise (16:39)

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Mindful Spending Without "Diet Culture"

[18:36-22:26]

• Listeners offer mindful spending strategies that avoid restriction/frugality mindsets:
  • Shop local to keep money in the community and find more joy in purchases.
  • Shift from subtractive ("cut out spending") to additive (add enjoyment, experiences, connection).
  • Buy secondhand via local Facebook groups, making sustainability and community a fun, rewarding practice.
  • Quote: "The more positive things you add... the less you're thinking about what you're missing, what you need to buy." – Listener (20:49)

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Travel & Life Recommendations

[26:40-29:43]

• Boston Hotels:
  • Doree endorses the Newbury for location ("right across from the Public Garden... can't get more central") and the Liberty for uniqueness, though less central.
  • Cambridge is highlighted as another great option.
  • Quote: "The Newbury is the Best location possible... you can’t get more central than that." – Doree (27:48)
• Dodgers Game Uber Tips:
  • Ubers often service Dodger Stadium; there are designated zones, but exiting will be slow regardless. Suggests leaving before the crowd to avoid traffic snarl.

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Listener Product & Self-Care Questions

Alarm Clocks

[30:27-32:14]

• Emma from Chicago asks for "cute and functional" alarm clock alternatives.
  • Doree recommends the sturdy Tivoli clock radio and the Hatch "wake-up light" (with encouragement for further listener input).
  • Elise admits: "I use my phone alarm… I don’t really have an alarm clock situation..." (30:56)

Tinted Sunscreen for Mature Skin

[32:21-34:17]

• Several brands (SkinCeuticals, EltaMD, Jones Road, Kosas, Supergoop) weren't working for a listener’s mature skin (too flaky).
• Doree recommends Ilia's Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, noting its light, non-foundation feel (comes in 2 tints).
  • Quote: "It does feel so nice going on... I just want a little bit of tint." – Doree (33:16)
• Elise endorses a Korean brand, Dominas, beloved by golfers—less accessible in the US but highly effective.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Ann Patchett’s childfree choice:
  "Every time somebody told me, 'Oh, you have to have kids, you'll regret it if you don't.' And I was like, you know what? That makes perfect sense." – Ann Patchett (via Elise, 08:38)
• On connecting with strangers:
  "It is good for us to talk to strangers. It is good for us to connect with other human beings... We are biased to fear having these conversations." – Elise (16:39)
• On spending:
  "The more positive things you add into your life, the less you're thinking about what you're missing." – Listener (20:49)

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Resource & Product Mentions

• Hotels: The Newbury Boston, The Liberty, Cambridge area.
• Alarm Clocks: Tivoli clock radio, Hatch wake-up light
• Tinted Sunscreen: Ilia Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen, Dominas (Korean brand)
• Secondhand Shopping: Local Facebook buy/sell/freecycle groups, Depop (sponsor)
• Community-Building: Newcomer-friendly groups, age-based subgroups, reduce inclusivity barriers

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:13 – Format changes: "End of an era" for mini episodes
• 04:25 – Elise’s TED week stories & Ann Patchett's interview
• 10:07 – Listener’s Peru travel reflection
• 13:40 – Group inclusivity and Nicholas Epley research
• 18:36 – Mindful spending, local shopping, buying secondhand
• 26:40 – Travel recs: Boston hotels, Dodger Stadium Uber tips
• 30:27 – Alarm clock alternatives
• 32:21 – Tinted sunscreen recommendations

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Tone & Language

Doree and Elise maintain their familiar, warm rapport, balancing humor ("my child is my alarm clock") with vulnerability and reflection. Listeners contribute thoughtful, practical perspectives. The episode feels both intimate and community-driven, emphasizing self-awareness and real-life wisdom over prescriptive solutions.

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Useful for anyone seeking:

• Self-care tips relevant to aging and modern life
• Community-sourced solutions for spending, travel, and skincare
• Warmth, humor, and practical empathy in podcasting

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Transcript

[Verizon Mom]

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[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrir]

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[Elise Hu]

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[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 not only is this a mini episode where we hear from you, we share your comments and your thoughts and answer your questions to the best of our ability to this is the last mini episode.

[Elise Hu]

End of an era.

[Dory Shafrir]

End of an era. We will still be doing listener question feedback comment episodes. They will just be every other week and they will be longer. So that's why we're not calling them mini episodes anymore. They are just regular old episodes.

[Elise Hu]

Yes, we need to name Our mailbag episodes.

[Dory Shafrir]

I'd like to put this out to the listeners.

[Listener Caller 1]

Yes.

[Elise Hu]

Do we just call it mailbag, you know, and so y' all know what it is, or is there a better one word or two word kind of name or category for the type of episodes that the minis used to sort of explain? We're also going to stop numbering so you're not going to notice the numbers of the episodes in your feeds, which could create a secondary thing in which a lot of folks are like, hey, I'm writing in about the question in many, many episode number 388.

[Dory Shafrir]

Right.

[Elise Hu]

So that's not going to be a way to reference it, but you'll be able to say, hey, I'm writing in about the William Sonoma croissants and I

[Dory Shafrir]

think we're gonna know Williams Sonoma croissants.

[Elise Hu]

They're really good. Oh, they're the ones where you get the dough. So you get the dough sent to you and then you bake them yourself. And I used to do that and serve them at a lot of the engagement parties and baby showers and stuff that I hosted because I loved doing those. Of course, you know, I like to throw parties.

[Dory Shafrir]

You like to throw parties? You like to host?

[Elise Hu]

I like. I love a party. I love a party. So, yeah. So listeners, we're probably just going to call it something like mailbag or feedback or something like that, or we hear from you or I don't know, I don't know what to call it.

[Dory Shafrir]

So if you have thoughts, let us know. You know how to reach us forever 35podcastmail.com or 781-591-0390. You can call or text us or email us. Many options. Elise, how's it going?

[Elise Hu]

It's going really okay. I'm maintaining.

[Dory Shafrir]

You're maintaining?

[Elise Hu]

I am still kind of re entering my regular routine and life.

[Dory Shafrir]

Mm.

[Elise Hu]

After a whirlwind week in Vancouver, I interviewed no fewer than nine geniuses and I think several of them in one day. Sometimes it was like four a day or it was three interviews, but one of them was with two people, you

[Dory Shafrir]

know, and so that is so intense.

[Elise Hu]

And. And then these are all TED speakers. Right. So they all have big things to talk about. Like, and they're high caliber people. And I would go from I interviewed the Deepness, which was the first woman to dive 381 meters or something into the sea. She like is the woman with the record for the deepest dive into the ocean.

[Dory Shafrir]

Wow.

[Elise Hu]

We talked about like the bottom of the sea. But then I switched from her to a guy who mapped all of the history of sound on Earth on this planet.

[Dory Shafrir]

What?

[Listener Caller 1]

Right.

[Elise Hu]

And so he did, like, you know, the sound soundscapes from the beginning of Earth, which is I don't know how many billion of years ago. And then I talked to this one guy at a party. So I like, went from interviewing those people to then talking to a guy at a party who was explaining to me how he could see the Big Bang. The story about Mark and how he can see the Big Bang is so funny because I met Mark at a cocktail party for TED speakers. And he explained to me that he was like, you see that building over there? And how you're sure that that building is there because you can see it? Like, yeah. And he goes, you are seeing back in time because for. For the. For your eyes to register the light onto that on that building, it's like three nanoseconds back in time, right? So you're technically looking back in time in order to even register the building in space. And he goes, if you look really, really, really far away, then that means you're looking really, really, really far back in time. So if you have a really good telescope that looks really, really far away, then you're also looking very, very far back in time. And that's why I can see the Big Bang. And I know that it's real, just as you know that that building is real. And I'm like, whoa, whoa. He is a professor at the University of Virginia and in astronomy. And so I leave that cocktail party and then I go do a bunch of other parties and things. And then I had a TED buddy this year who's a friend of mine from LA who was going to his first ted. And so we did a lot of mingling together. We hung out and did lunches so he didn't feel like he was alone. Whose name is Matt.

[Dory Shafrir]

He.

[Elise Hu]

He texts me the next day and he's like, you gotta meet this guy. He can see the Big Bang. And I was like, oh, Mark, you're talking about Mark. He's like, oh, my God, yes. Mark is so cool. And so we both separately met him at some functions.

[Dory Shafrir]

How funny.

[Elise Hu]

We are big fans of his. I will find his bio page from his university so that we can put it in our show notes for those of you. Those space geeks out there who want to learn more about him. But it was really fun to get to meet him. I also got to interview Ann Patchett, literary legend.

[Dory Shafrir]

So cool.

[Elise Hu]

Her talk was about her love for reading and how much it's been an obsession and like a real spine of her entire life and what it's given to her and how it's like her real, her true love, you know, and how it ended up inspiring her to open her bookstore in Nashville, Parnassus Books, and how that's become a third space and all that. It's a beautiful talk. It was so funny because we came out of that. We're like, that was such a well written TED Talk. Who wrote that? Wow. Be a good writer. We were just being sarcastic. I mean, she's. She's brilliant. But something that really stuck with me about what she said was not in her talk, but afterwards I was like, we do kind of a lightning round, kind of like we do forever 35 questionnaire if there's time. And so I think we had some time with her. And one of the questions is like, what's the best advice you've ever ignored? So what's advice that you were like, and I'm so glad that I. That. And she said, every time somebody told me, oh, you have to have kids, you'll regret it if you don't. And I was like, you know what? That makes perfect sense. She's like, I'm so glad I never had kids. Like, I. And. And we're probably as readers, all better off for it too, because what if it affected her output? But she knows herself. She's always known herself. She never wanted to have kids. And she was like, especially in the era I was coming up, she was like, many people were like, oh, you're.

[Dory Shafrir]

You're.

[Elise Hu]

Gonna. You're gonna regret not having kids. And I was like, but imagine the flip side. Imagine if somebody came up to me and was like, you should never have kids. You know, like, don't have kids because you're gonna regret having kids. Like, how invasive.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah.

[Elise Hu]

And so, yeah, if you flip that advice, it totally makes sense. And so. And she. She was really straight about it. And I kind of loved that. I. I love that I like how self possessed Ann Patchett is and what a. Her clarity and her clarity of mind and the way it comes through in her novels obviously is something that we are all richer for.

[Dory Shafrir]

So for sure, I love her. Well, Elise, before we take a break, we do have a note from a listener that relates to the trip that Ava recently took.

[Elise Hu]

Oh. Oh, okay.

[Dory Shafrir]

So this listener wrote, I've been listening to your podcast since 2020 and love it. The chill, casual, but informative vibes you give off are super entertaining. I just got caught up with the newer episodes and was so surprised to come across the one of Elise's daughter visiting Lima and Machu Picchu. As I am Peruvian oh, it's not often I hear about my country in a podcast, so thanks for mentioning the story. Peru, with all its issues is a beautiful place, especially the Andes, rainforests and beaches. Your daughter might be too young to appreciate this trip, but in time she will. I visited these ruins twice as a kid and took it for granted as I now realize how lucky I was to have one of the seven Wonders of the World in my own country. As tired as I was when hiking it, I remember admiring its beauty and feeling a magical energy there. It really is like no other. I wish for all parents to show their kids good values and important life lessons, and I think this form of traveling is one way to do so. I've never learned more about the world and its people than in those rural slash adventurous trips, and I'm forever grateful to my parents for these experiences. If you have the means, expose your kids to the rest of the world and help them learn about how others live. Traveling and meeting new people, seeing new places and cultures is so educational and rewarding. And if you can't, at least show them via a documentary book, have conversations, help them value and not take for granted what they have. I'm sure your daughter learned so much during her trip. I truly hope she enjoyed her time in Peru and that she cherishes this experience as she grows up.

[Elise Hu]

That's so lovely.

[Dory Shafrir]

What a nice note.

[Elise Hu]

Thank you for writing so much.

[Dory Shafrir]

That's so cool. Once again you can call or text us at 781-591-0390, email us at forever35podcastmail.com and you can visit our website forever35podcast.com for links to everything we mentioned on the show. We are also on Instagram @forever35 podcast and please join our [e-mail] Forever35 if you want to hear from us more than once a week we do our weekly casual chats on Fridays which are also on video. We also do live casual chats every quarter. You get access to our community chat on Patreon and then at 10amonth you get ad free episodes and a shout out on the podcast every month. All right, we are going to take a short break and when we get back we have an interesting voicemail about the question about group dynamics that came up good a couple weeks ago. Okay. All right, so we will be right back.

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[Elise Hu]

America's best Network based on RootMetric's best overall mobile network performance US second half 2025 four new lines and unlimited welcome and autopay. See verizon.com for details. It's smart to always have a few financial goals and a really smart one. You can set earning cash back on what you buy every day. And with Discover you can get this Discover automatically matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. Seriously, all of it. And we trust you to make smart decisions. After all, you listen to this show. See [e-mail] creditcard.

[Dory Shafrir]

All right, we are back and we have a voicemail.

[Listener Caller 2]

Hi there. I have some thoughts about the group inclusivity question. I'm not a professional, as in I don't run these groups, but I am a parent of two young children and I have been to these groups and I was listening to this thinking, oh, I've probably been guilty of being the parent that just goes and sees my friends. And I think from the listener, this likely seems like a drop in group. That's my guess. If she's saying that people show up and then maybe they don't return. So I mean, initially I was like, oh, you could make it more formal. But I also have a feeling that people might be attending the group as a way to hang out with their friends because they have young children. And sometimes it's easier to go to a group setting where they're all, you can kind of catch up with your friends. So then my other thought was, if you're offering these drop in groups, could you offer like a special group for newcomers or do it age based on the kids? I find I often connect better with parents who have kids the same age as me because then you're all going through the same things with like toddlers or if it's baby, it's baby. You can just relate a little bit more. And it's easier to break the ice if you're being like, oh my gosh, my kid, you know, panicked because I peeled a banana and they wanted to peel it that's like an automatic icebreaker. If you have kids the same age or if it's like a paid group, maybe you could do something. Like if you've never signed up for this group before, there's like a first time newcomers discount. And then maybe you have a run a group once a week that is just for people who've never been before. And then those people can kind of. They're all new and it's not so scary to walk into a room and everyone but you know each other. Because I know I've also been that person where some people seem really cool, but I don't want to intrude if they are, maybe have their friends and I don't want to like be the odd one breaking up the group. So yeah, maybe like newcomer offer or split up the playgroup a little bit by ages. But yeah, it's tricky. I've been on both sides of that. Good luck.

[Elise Hu]

This actually reminds me of a different TED Talk that hasn't come out yet, but will. And it's by the sociologist or social science researcher Nicholas Epley. And it's all about talking to strangers and how research indicates that it is good for us to talk to strangers. It is good for us to connect with other human beings. Like all the longitudinal studies show that it makes us happier to have these kinds of connections. And very rarely are they so sideways with somebody who like, might be dangerous or whatever, the things that we're scared of. But we as humans are biased to fear having these conversations. So we like have this negative bias that it's going to not go well for whatever reason. But we have to kind of overcome that bias a little bit more intentionally to just like talk to the person whose hat you really like that you saw on the train, you know, because it ends up being not just good for them, but also good for you to have done it. And how it applies to this in that when there are newcomers, we should do our best to like try and lean into that and welcome them and be in and include them because they probably think that you don't want to talk to them. More often than not I should just chat or try and chat because it, it redounds well to everyone. But thank you for your actual like, practical suggestions there on like bringing all newcomers together in as a group. I think that could certainly help. But when there are new folks, like let's all of us try and commit to just getting past our bias for the negative or our filter for the negative.

[Dory Shafrir]

I love that. I feel like you're really good at that.

[Elise Hu]

I kind of have to force myself to be because I was a shy person, you know. And so I think it's like really an active practice and it's only made things better and easier, you know, so

[Dory Shafrir]

right when you get into it as a practice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's really interesting. I also think the suggestion about doing it by the age of the kids is so important because that was so key for me is like, you know, being these mom groups where all the kids were within, like, I don't know, a month, month and a half of each other. Like, we were all going through the same stuff at the same time. So that is, that is definitely important, I think. Okay, we got a couple of voicemails and emails about spending less.

[Listener Caller 1]

Hi Dora and Elise, I am just calling in response to the mini app this week where someone wrote in asking about how to shift spending and just be more mindful of spending, but not in like a diet culture way. And I just had two quick thoughts on that I wanted to share. One is not necessarily buying less or like cutting things out of your spending, but just shifting that spending to more local businesses. So rather than going to like a big chain grocery store or like a Walmart or a Target, spending that money at a local, like a smaller local chain or even like an independent grocer in your neighborhood. So not only does that keep the money that you're spending directly in your community and supporting your neighbors and also knowing that the more you shop, the more they can buy in terms of inventory and just provide more to your community. It's just so much more fun to actually see the results of your spending and know that everything is staying locally. But also, like, it's just nice to just like say hello to a real person. Also, the other thing I was thinking about too is just like focusing on being more additive. And actually this is kind of like something I do in response to diet culture on the food side is like being more additive. So instead of like cutting things off, like, what can I add to make my meals more nutritious or more in line with like, what I'm wanting to put into my body. So rather than what can I add? So if you're adding new hobbies, if you're adding more time getting together with friends or connecting with neighbors or going for a walk with someone or whatever, the more you do that, the less you're thinking about spending. Like, sure, you might, like, meet a friend for coffee or have to buy groceries. If you're inviting someone over for Dinner or buying someone a birthday present or something like that. But I don't think that's the spending she's talking about. For me, it's like the mindless, like, do I need more T shirts from the Gap? I mean, maybe I do, but like, I probably don't. And if I think about, like, the time that I could spend just like, clicking around on my phone or my computer. But yes, in terms of being additive, the more positive things you add into your life, the less you're thinking about what you're missing, what you need to buy, how you spend your money. And I think, like, some of the goals that she's envisioning or like, what she wants to get out of this, you know, being more mindful of spending would just happen naturally without, you know, cutting things out in the way that I guess we're trying to avoid when we're thinking about it not being like diet culture. Okay, sorry, I talked too much. All right, love you guys.

[Dory Shafrir]

Bye. I love all of these suggestions that this listener just left us. I do think that this idea of like, consciously shopping local is so important.

[Elise Hu]

And also the idea of being additive.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, totally. So we also got a message about this. Okay, this listener said, I wanted to write in to respond to the listener who's trying to reduce spending and their susceptibility to advertising and consumption. One way that I've integrated this into my life is through buying clothes secondhand and buying my kids clothes and toys secondhand as well. I'm fortunate to live in an area that has a very active buy sell and free cycle Facebook groups. Since it's all hyperlocal, this practice also feels like I'm part of a really positive local community effort. I'm part of a local women's clothing buy sell group and a separate kids buy sell group. I find so much joy in getting a great bargain on clothes. I just scored a cheap pair of mother jeans, for example. And also love selling and giving away my kids gear to other parents. This honestly feels like a hobby to me now and not at all like a spending diet, but at the same time, I'm reducing consumption and waste. So it's a win win. I mean, I love this too, and go to Depop.

[Elise Hu]

You know, we have this great sponsor relationship with Depop, which has encouraged both of us to do the same thing. Yes, Buy pre loved. And it's been awesome finding so much great stuff.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes. All right, so we are going to take another short break and when we come back, we have a couple requests for recommendations.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. We'll be right back.

[Dory Shafrir]

We'll be right back. Elise, I want you to picture this, okay? It's the middle of the week. You want a home cooked meal, but you can't think of anything to cook except the same thing you cook every week.

[Elise Hu]

True story.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yeah, it's like that's comfort food, but you want some adventure. But with Hellofresh, you can cook up bold flavors from around the world without ever leaving home. Which I think you actually did do recently.

[Elise Hu]

I sure did. I made the Hellofresh classic beef tacos, which everyone loves. It comes with restaurant style salsa and a little chipotle lime creme. So we kind of. Yeah, we made it a little more authentic for taco night. And it's classic, yet sure to satisfy. It was great for the whole family.

[Dory Shafrir]

I love that Hellofresh really makes savoring new flavors from around the world. Delicious, simple and wholesome. With HelloFresh, no two meals will be the same. You can choose from over 80 recipes from all over the world every month, including Vietnamese, Moroccan, Caribbean and more. If you've been interested in trying ingredients like lemon grass, gochujang and curry paste, but don't want to buy a whole like thing of it, this is the perfect opportunity. They send those ingredients pre portioned for you. Hellofresh makes cooking effortless. You can always look forward to a homemade meal because nothing hits like home cooking.

[Elise Hu]

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[Dory Shafrir]

You know, I feel like we put so much effort into our skin care with all the serums, the treatments, facials routines, et cetera, et cetera. But do we think about the thing touching our skin for eight hours every single night?

[Elise Hu]

Our sheets?

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes. Let's spend some time considering our bedding.

[Elise Hu]

Good point, good point.

[Dory Shafrir]

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[Elise Hu]

Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

And I'm kind of obsessed with them.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, I'm So excited.

[Dory Shafrir]

Super soft, but they also, they feel, like, substantial.

[Elise Hu]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

Like, I feel like I've gotten sheets in the past that just feel kind of flimsy. And these feel, like, really nice. Do you know what I mean?

[Elise Hu]

They're lux.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yes, they are lux. And they were soft when I, like, picked them up out of the box. But, you know, you washed your sheets before you put them on the bed and they got even softer, like, even just after the first wash. So I'm obsessed.

[Listener Caller 2]

I love.

[Dory Shafrir]

It was so nice to come back from vacation and just, like, get into my cozy, comfy bowl and branch sheets. Oh, so nice. A lot of people start with the bowl and branch signature sheets, and then they add the matching pillowcases and a waffle blanket, because that combination, it makes the whole bed feel softer and cooler. It's one of those upgrades where you notice the difference between the very first night. So upgrade your sleep with bowl and Branch. Get 15 off your first order, plus free shipping at bull and branch.com Forever35 with code Forever35. That's bowl and branch. B, O, L, L, a n d branch.com Forever35. Code Forever35. To unlock 15% off exclusions apply. All right, we are back. Elise, do you want to take this next message?

[Elise Hu]

Sure. Hello, ladies. Love the pod and all the recs you provide. I'm from Canada and when I was in Palm Springs recently, I ran into Trader Joe's for all the skin care. I have two travel questions for either of you. One favorite hotel in Boston? My husband and I are thinking of visiting there. It's this place we've always wanted to see. We'd like to see all the sights and stay somewhere central. We don't want to break the bank, but also stay somewhere lovely. 2. Any tips for Uber? Drop off and pickup at a Dodgers game in la. My daughters are doing a dad and daughter trip in July and going. I seem to remember one of you talking about this before once. Would love to hear any tips. Thank you and have a great week. Well, Dory, you are from Boston.

[Dory Shafrir]

I am from Boston, but I do always kind of joke that, like, people ask me for Boston recommendations and like, I haven't lived there since I was like 18.

[Listener Caller 1]

Right.

[Dory Shafrir]

So, you know, my. My recommendations are based on just like trips going back. I have stayed in some hotels in Boston. The Liberty Hotel is kind of cool. That could be an option if you want to splurge. I know you said you don't want to break the bank, but the Newberry is like the Best location possible. It is right across the street from the public garden. It's at the end of Newbury street, which is like this lovely walkable street with tons of shops and other, you know, restaurants and cafes and stuff. That would be like a really lovely place to say. It's also right by the train. Like, you kind of can't get more central than that. The Liberty is like not quite as central, it's not quite as walkable, but it is right by the train. So that, you know, could be another option. But if our, if our listeners have other Boston hotel suggestions as people who may have traveled there more recently and stayed in a hotel. Because the most recent time I stayed in a hotel was in Brookline, closer to my parents, which I don't. You probably don't want to be in Brookline. You probably want to be like more central.

[Elise Hu]

So when I'm in Boston, I almost always stay in Cambridge because it's so walkable and trainable and. Yeah, I just don't remember where all I've stayed. I, I want to say I haven't stayed somewhere that was like so unique, you know, that it really stands out. But Cambridge is a great place in Boston.

[Dory Shafrir]

Cambridge is great stay.

[Elise Hu]

If you're gonna kind of have a home base.

[Dory Shafrir]

Well, and the, the Liberty, you can't. You. One thing that it is walkable to is Cambridge because it is like right off the bridge. So you can walk across the bridge and you're right by Memorial Storrow Drive. And you know, there's, there are things to walk to. It's just, it just doesn't feel quite as central as like being right on Newbury Street.

[Listener Caller 1]

Right.

[Elise Hu]

So what about Dodgers games? I've only ever driven to Dodgers games and park.

[Dory Shafrir]

Me too.

[Elise Hu]

So I don't, I don't want to.

[Dory Shafrir]

Don't have Uber's wrong information.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. Okay.

[Dory Shafrir]

I mean, there is, I see Uber is going into Dodger Stadium all the time. There is like a, there is a specific, you know, drop off and pick up point for Ubers. So I can't imagine that it would be super complicated. But getting out of Dodger Stadium, whether or not you Uber or you drive is challenging. So, you know, I would say if you don't want to be stuck, you might want to leave a few minutes before the end. Or it could take a long time to get out of that parking lot. So just, just a little pro tip. Okay, now for a couple of voicemails with requests for products.

[Listener Caller 1]

Hi and Elise, this is Emma calling from Chicago and my question is what are you or other listeners using for an alarm clock? I know this is old advice to leave your phone outside the bedroom if you can and use an alarm clock. But what specific alarm clocks are people using? What do you like? What's cute? What works? All right, thank you both so much. Love you.

[Elise Hu]

I use my phone alarm, so I don't have any alarm clock suggestions.

[Dory Shafrir]

I use my child.

[Elise Hu]

I was gonna say, I don't really tip. I don't actually have an alarm, you know, clock situation that I set regularly. But if I am taking a nap, for instance, and I need to get up by 2:15 or something, then I use my phone.

[Dory Shafrir]

I do have. I do still have an old, like, clock radio, a Tivoli clock radio.

[Elise Hu]

Oh, those are nice.

[Dory Shafrir]

That is. I mean, it's gotta be, at this point almost 20 years old. Like, it has a docking station for like one of the first iPhones, you know, or ipods even. And. But sometimes if I do need to set an alarm, I do still set that and wake up to the radio and you can still buy a Tivoli. I mean, they're expensive, they're well made, they last forever. They're well made. I see one model here for $100. So that could be an option. I know Hatch makes a popular alarm, you know, wake up light thing. So that could also be something that you look into.

[Elise Hu]

Okay. Yeah.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay. If other people have suggestions, would love to hear them. And now, finally, we have another request.

[Listener Caller 2]

I all.

[Listener Caller 1]

I would love to hear your recommendations for a daily tinted sunscreen. I'm sure you've covered this a million times on the podcast, but I specifically am looking for recommendations for tinted daily sunscreen for mature skin. I have tried SkinCeuticals. I've tried EltaMD. I've tried Jones Road. I've tried Kosas. I tried Supergoop. And there's something about my aging skin that makes all of those get kind of flaky. So I'm wondering if there's some kind of mystery tinted sunscreen out there that I haven't uncovered yet that somebody has to share with me. So if that's true, please let me know. Thank you.

[Dory Shafrir]

Okay, so tinted sunscreen. I actually do have a recommendation because it was just sent to me by Ilia and I'm actually wearing it right now. I do really. I really like it because it is a tinted mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin. It's called the Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen. It's SPF 50. It only comes in two shades. So, you know, that might or might not work for you. I am wearing the light medium shade and then they also have a medium deep shade. But it does feel so nice going on and I think it has like just the right amount of tint. Like I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a foundation. I just want a little bit of tint.

[Elise Hu]

Yep.

[Dory Shafrir]

And it says, you know and I and I also like that it's SPF 50. So that is what I would. I would recommend the Ilia Sun Serum.

[Elise Hu]

So my one thing to add is just the tinted sunscreen. The Korean tinted sunscreen that I love and that I wear before sports and everything and it turns out is the number one sunscreen for Korean golfers is a brand called Dominas D O M I N A S And if they come to the US then we are going to be all about it. Right now I think you have to get it muled or get it on ebay or something. But the glow job girls who came on the show and you can go back and listen to that episode gave us a little backstory on that when they came on. So great question, listeners. If you have any suggestions as usual, call in or join the chat. The running chat on our Patreon.

[Dory Shafrir]

Yep. All right, thanks so much everyone.

[Elise Hu]

Talk to you next time.

[Dory Shafrir]

Bye. Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to do's. It's a new workday.

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[Elise Hu]

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