Transcript

Morgan (0:00)

This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.

Bobby Bones (0:04)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones here. When you're traveling with family, it can be a circus. Mom wakes up at 5am Nephew, stay up till midnight and your dog, he just wants a yard to play in. Booking.com makes it easy to find a stay that's right for everyone, whether it's a vacation rental or a space to spread out or a hotel where someone else makes the breakfast. Find exactly what you're booking for booking.com booking yeah, that's booking.com, booking yeah.

Morgan (0:34)

20Th Century Studios presents the upcoming comedy Ella McKay from Academy Award winning writer director James L. Brooks. Emma Mackey plays Ella McKay, an idealistic young woman who juggles her family and work life in a story about the people you love and how to survive them.

Amy (0:52)

Featuring all star cast including Emma Mackey.

Morgan (0:55)

Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Loudon, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Adebiri, Julie Cassidy. With Albert Brooks and woody Harrelson. Ella McKay now playing this is Eva.

Amy (1:06)

Longoria from Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez Rejon. Like the song says, it's the most wonderful time of the year and also a wonderfully busy one. All that merriment can weigh down even Santa's sleigh. So keep it wonderful by keeping yourself wonderful with a crisp, cold Coca Cola. Pause for fizzy joy.

Morgan (1:27)

Look out for yourself and then look out for everyone else and together we'll.

Amy (1:32)

Make this season as wonderful as it's meant to be. Enjoy a Coca Cola refresh your holidays. This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lily, a medicine company.

Morgan (2:18)

Hear that? It's holiday cheer arriving at Ulta Beauty with gifts for everyone on your list.

Amy (2:25)

Treat them to fan favorite gift sets.

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show — Amy’s Christmas Changeup & Morgan’s Goal For The Holidays

Date: December 13, 2025
Hosts: Morgan & Amy (with occasional comments from Bobby Bones)
Podcast: The Bobby Bones Show — Best Bits (Part One Edition)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Bobby Bones Show" centers on holiday plans, personal traditions, and reflections from co-hosts Amy and Morgan. The conversation dives into Amy’s shift in her longtime Christmas routine, a heartwarming recap of her son’s charity run, Morgan’s holiday travel and goal to unplug, as well as musings on family, awkward everyday moments, sobriety, and the nuances of boundary-setting during the festive season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Amy’s Christmas Plans: From Tradition to Change

Amy is staying in Nashville for Christmas instead of traveling to Colorado as she typically does. This change is largely influenced by her children’s shared custody schedule and the evolving nature of her family.
Her boyfriend and his children will be staying in Nashville as well, marking the couple’s first Christmas spent together in the same city, though Amy will not wake up at his house on Christmas morning (03:08–06:08).
- Quote (Amy, 05:13): “Yeah, we were together last Christmas, but I was in Colorado.”
Blending Traditions: Amy considers bringing her family’s classic cinnamon rolls and sausage gravy into her boyfriend’s holiday morning routine as a way to blend households (08:09).
Acceptance of Stillness: Amy reflects on being “still” this year, choosing to avoid extra travel and bustle, emphasizing self-awareness and resisting the pressure to make plans if it’s “just to do something” (08:34–09:37).
- Quote (Amy, 09:23): “It’s not like a woe is me like sad staying. It’s… Oh, okay. Yeah, I have an option here and it’s okay for me to stay. I don’t need to force a trip…”

2. Morgan’s Holiday Outlook: Firsts, Family, and Digital Detox

Morgan is traveling to Kansas with her boyfriend for Christmas—his first trip home with her—after spending time with his mom and sister who visit Nashville the week prior (09:41–11:13).
Holiday Traditions: The couple bakes an array of sweet treats—a tradition now merging both their family styles (10:36).
Reconnecting: Morgan will reunite with childhood friends for New Year’s Eve and is looking forward to introducing her boyfriend to her close-knit friend group from home (11:18–11:39).
Podcasting Aspirations: She hopes to record a special episode with her 88-year-old grandmother, highlighting intergenerational stories (12:27–12:48).
- Quote (Morgan, 12:48): “She lives this very, like, independent, fierce, just cool life out on the farm. So I really want to do an episode with her…”
Work/Life Balance Goal: Morgan’s big aim for the holidays is to truly unplug from her job—including social media—something she admits is both difficult and anxiety-inducing because of FOMO and work obligations (14:27–15:30).
- Quote (Morgan, 15:30): “I just don’t feel like it’s possible... the minute that I check back in, there’s no going back.”
- Amy encourages her to at least try, setting reachable goals for a digital break (15:50).

3. Stevenson's Run: Fundraising, Family, and Impact

Background: Amy details her son Stevenson’s Thanksgiving run for charity, initially planned as a 10-mile goal but extended to a half-marathon (13.1 miles) due to his motivation from real-time donations, not just pledges (19:18–19:56).
- Quote (Amy, 19:53): “...he felt like if these donations are coming in, I need to give them a show...wanted to make sure he was working for the money.”
Fundraising Success: Stevenson raised over $34,000 for his Haitian orphanage—most donations were in small increments, showing the power of collective giving (21:38–23:24).
- Quote (Amy, 21:42): “Over $34,000.”
- Money covered Christmas gifts, teacher/nanny bonuses, salaries, and a student scholarship (21:51–23:24).
Origin Story: The idea was sparked organically at the kitchen table while discussing new ways to raise recurring donations. Stevenson arrived post-run, became interested, and offered to run double his record for the cause (23:27–25:29).
Siblings & Family: Amy shares a tender moment where her daughter Stashira expressed pride in Stevenson’s feat, despite their typical “squabbling” as siblings (25:48–26:43).
- Quote (Amy, 26:47): “I was like, oh, okay. Yeah. This is really yay, yay, yay for these moments. I’m gonna cherish it, soak it up, because I don’t know how long it will last.”
Future Fundraising: Amy discusses next steps for supporting Haiti, considering options for regular/monthly support while respecting privacy and changing structures at the orphanage and school (27:03–28:59).

4. Reflections on Generosity & Social Good

The Season of Giving: Both Amy and Morgan note that the holidays bring out social good, citing Giving Tuesday and increased charitable activity—despite some tension over visibility versus humility in posting about giving (28:59–29:50).
- Quote (Morgan, 29:03): “I just love this time of year for that reason, too. I feel like we get to see more of the good in the world...”

5. Everyday Awkwardness: Human Interactions

Dentist Stories: Example of tried-and-true awkwardness when a dental hygienist repeatedly tries to chat—while hands are in your mouth (33:40–34:24).
Social Bloopers: The hosts share familiar cringes:
- Mistimed responses in checkout lines, confusion with people on phones (thinking they’re talking to you), dog-walking standoffs, grocery store product “standoffs” and parking lot wars (34:37–37:09).
- Quote (Amy, 34:44): “Sometimes all I anticipate that the clerk is asking me how my day is and they’re not … I answer with, I’m fine, how are you? And they’re like, I said cash or credit…”
Boutique Shopping: Amy and Morgan compare big-box stores with local boutiques, praising the unique, personal gifts of small shops, and the feel-good impact of supporting local businesses (37:12–39:34).

6. Cautionary Tales: Alcohol Mix-Ups and Sobriety

Dining Snafus: Morgan recounts a dinner where a requested mocktail for a pregnant friend arrived as an alcoholic cocktail (40:23–43:16); Amy shares a story from a sober friend accidentally served tequila at a yoga sound bath (40:54–42:08).
- Both hosts discuss the serious implications, advocating for clearer communication and caution by food/beverage service workers.
Sobriety & Generational Trauma:
- Discusses how accidental alcohol exposure can be triggering for those in recovery, amplifying the need for empathy and legislative (or at least procedural) rigor (43:45–45:51).
- Quote (Amy, 45:44): “The best thing to do is stay away from the dairy. Right. So the best thing to do is just stay away from the alcohol.”

Cultural Shifts: Both reflect on how social media and culture once glamorized drinking, but “sober-curious” and non-alcoholic beverage trends are increasingly accepted and visible (45:51–49:56).

- *Quote (Amy, 47:15):* “The pendulum is swinging a little bit because now on social you see a lot of the... sober, curious or the mocktails are having a moment right now...”
- Both share their own decrease in alcohol consumption and the benefits felt.

7. Family, History, and Holidays

Digging Into Roots: Amy contemplates family patterns, emotional dynamics, and the value of learning about prior generations—especially concerning issues like addiction, emotional neglect, or trauma (51:18–52:53).
- Quote (Amy, 52:53): “That might be heavier stuff your family may not want to revisit. But... ask questions just to get to know family history and what life was like.”
Creative Holiday Activities: Amy’s brother has started writing songs about family members as therapy and commemoration, inspiring the idea of collective family song-writing or playing board games to spark stories and laughter (53:13–57:16).
- Morgan highlights that sometimes fun games—such as “Redneck Life”—offer the best insight into your relatives’ personalities and quirks (56:23–57:16).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

On accepting a new Christmas routine:
- Amy (09:23): “It’s not like a woe is me like sad staying. It’s… Oh, okay. Yeah, I have an option here and it’s okay for me to stay. I don’t need to force a trip…”
On being present for new traditions:
- Morgan (12:48): “She lives this very, like, independent, fierce, just cool life out on the farm. So I really want to do an episode with her…”
On donation-driven motivation:
- Amy (19:53): “...he felt like if these donations are coming in, I need to give them a show...wanted to make sure he was working for the money.”
On being proud as a parent:
- Amy (26:47): “I was like, oh, okay. Yeah. This is really yay, yay, yay for these moments. I’m gonna cherish it, soak it up, because I don’t know how long it will last.”
On digital fatigue:
- Morgan (15:30): “I just don’t feel like it’s possible... the minute that I check back in, there’s no going back.”
On the holiday good:
- Morgan (29:03): “I just love this time of year for that reason, too. I feel like we get to see more of the good in the world...”
On cultural change and mocktails:
- Amy (47:15): “The pendulum is swinging a little bit because now on social you see a lot of the... sober, curious or the mocktails are having a moment right now...”
On learning family history:
- Amy (52:53): “That might be heavier stuff your family may not want to revisit. But... ask questions just to get to know family history and what life was like.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:08 | Amy’s Christmas plans—staying home vs. traveling | | 05:13 | First Christmas staying in town with her boyfriend | | 09:41 | Morgan’s Kansas holiday & family traditions | | 11:18 | Reuniting with friends, boyfriend meets friend group | | 12:27 | Morgan’s podcast plan with her grandma | | 14:27 | Morgan aims for a social media break (digital detox) | | 19:18 | Amy shares Stevenson’s charity run/fundraiser | | 21:42 | Stevenson’s total fundraising amount revealed | | 23:27 | Origin story of the run idea | | 25:48 | Siblings supporting siblings—Stashira on Stevenson | | 27:03 | Amy’s thoughts on future fundraising and privacy | | 33:40 | Everyday awkwardness—dentist and checkout stories | | 37:12 | Boutique shopping and keeping it local | | 40:23 | Mocktail/cocktail mix-up at restaurant; sound bath story | | 43:45 | The impact of accidental alcohol for those in recovery | | 45:51 | Culture & social media’s influence on attitudes to alcohol | | 51:18 | Family history, trauma, and asking questions | | 53:13 | Songwriting and sharing family stories | | 56:23 | Board games and the fun side of family |

Wrap-Up

This episode is a heartfelt, light, and thoughtful exploration of how holidays and traditions evolve, the importance of giving back, and the small ways we can connect (or awkwardly fail to) as families and humans. From personal plans and vulnerable shares to everyday laughs and big “firsts,” Amy and Morgan remind listeners that it’s okay to honor both old and new, and that holidays are as much about presence as presents.

For more of the story and listener questions, check out the subsequent Best Bits episode parts in your feed!