Best Bits: Listener Q&A With Morgan and Amy

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: Best Bits - Listener Q&A With Morgan and Amy (December 21, 2024) Summary

Welcome to a special edition of "The Bobby Bones Show," brought to you by Premiere Networks. In this heartwarming episode titled "Best Bits: Listener Q&A With Morgan and Amy," hosts Morgan and Amy engage with their audience through a series of listener questions, personal stories, and insightful advice. Released on December 21, 2024, this episode delivers festive cheer, genuine conversations, and meaningful connections, making it a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

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Episode Overview

In this festive episode, Morgan and Amy open their hearts and homes to listeners, addressing a variety of topics ranging from holiday traditions to personal struggles and pet care. The dynamic duo brings warmth and authenticity to each discussion, offering both laughter and solace during the holiday season.

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Shoutouts and Personal Stories

The episode kicks off with heartfelt shoutouts from listeners, setting a friendly and inclusive tone.

• Liv from D.C. sends her love, with Hoda Kotb expressing admiration:
  "Love you both so much. I look up to y'all."
  [03:09]

• Kristen compliments Amy on her new hairstyle, sparking a candid conversation about personal appearances and the journey of self-acceptance:
  "I love Amy's new hair."
  [03:20]
  Amy shares her experience with hair extensions and the emotional significance tied to her late mother, highlighting themes of loss and liberation:
  "I got so used to the extensions, it was hard to get rid of them. But now that they're out, it is so freeing."
  [04:50]

• Sadie from Ohio admires the show, with Amy acknowledging the support:
  "Thanks, Sadie."
  [05:40]

---

Listener Q&A Segments

1. Embracing Haitian Holiday Traditions

Listener:
Jen asks about incorporating Haitian traditions into the holidays.
[05:46]

Amy's Response:
Amy discusses how her family celebrates "Haiti night" by enjoying Haitian cuisine and maintaining a connection to their heritage:
"The main thing for them is the food. They love the food. We try to just talk about Haiti as much as possible."
[06:50]

She emphasizes the importance of food in preserving cultural traditions and adapting them to create meaningful family gatherings:
"I try to make sure just year-round to have that or for having a family meal around the table for the holidays."
[07:18]

2. Personal Reflections on Hair and Identity

Discussion:
Hoda and Amy delve into Amy's personal journey with her hair color, reflecting on identity and self-perception:
Hoda: "Is this your natural hair color?"
Amy: "Pretty much. It is very freeing."
[03:54] - [08:25]

Amy recounts overcoming challenges related to hair loss and embracing her natural look after removing extensions, sharing a poignant story of resilience:
“If anybody’s ever had them, you know what I’m talking about, it feels very freeing.”
[05:31]

3. Cherished Christmas Memories

Listener:
Ashley from Arizona inquires about favorite Christmas memories from childhood.
[11:10]

Amy's Response:
Amy nostalgically recalls receiving a microphone from her grandmother, leading to forming a childhood band and performing "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys:
“I remember that we formed a band, and we performed Kokomo. It was horrible.”
[11:44] - [13:00]

This memory underscores the lasting impact of family traditions and the joy of childhood creativity.

4. Pet Care and Feline Antics

Listener:
Kaylee from Unknown asks about Maggie the cat.
[13:10]

Discussion:
Amy shares insights about Maggie, a Balinese cat, addressing common feline behaviors like hairballs and curious eating habits:
“Maggie threw up yesterday, but she seemed okay. She’s a Balinese, so she looks fluffier than she is.”
[13:14] - [14:45]

Hoda compares Maggie to her own cat, Hazel, discussing grooming challenges and humorous anecdotes:
“I was in my shower and she was up on the walls. This is not going well.”
[14:49] - [17:29]

5. Balancing Career and Family Life

Listener:
Melissa from California seeks advice on balancing a career with raising children while battling feelings of guilt.
[26:02]

Amy's Insight:
Amy shares a profound perspective inspired by Shonda Rhimes, emphasizing that achieving a perfect balance is unrealistic:
“There is no balance. It’s just decisions that you have to make. You have to surrender and release that guilt.”
[25:59] - [27:54]

She encourages embracing the sacrifices each choice entails and finding peace in the decisions made for both career and family:
“You just have to know you’re doing the best that you can and you're living out multiple dreams.”
[26:15]

This segment offers valuable advice for parents navigating the complexities of professional and personal commitments.

6. Honoring a Lost Child

Listener:
Laura seeks help with commemorating her fourth child, who passed away shortly after birth, by designing a meaningful tote.
[27:53]

Amy and Hoda's Guidance:
Amy suggests incorporating the child's name, meaningful words of comfort, or inspirational quotes that resonate with Laura's faith and emotions:
“If there's a verse or a poem or a quote that brought you comfort, you can incorporate that somehow.”
[28:30] - [31:38]

Hoda adds that including elements like the child's relationship to siblings and personal traits can add depth and personalization to the tribute:
“Maybe a middle name, because I imagine he had a first and a middle name.”
[31:02]

This heartfelt advice aims to help Laura create a lasting and meaningful remembrance for her child.

---

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• Amy on Freedom After Loss:
  “Now that they're out, it is so freeing.”
  [04:50]

• Amy on Embracing Choices:
  “There is no balance. It’s just decisions that you have to make.”
  [26:02]

• Amy on Letting Go of Guilt:
  “You just have to know you’re doing the best that you can and you're living out multiple dreams.”
  [26:15]

• Amy on Creating a Tribute:
  “If there's a verse or a poem or a quote that brought you comfort, you can incorporate that somehow.”
  [28:30]

---

Insights and Takeaways

Throughout the episode, Morgan and Amy provide a blend of personal anecdotes and thoughtful advice that resonates deeply with listeners. Key takeaways include:

• Cultural Preservation: Maintaining cultural traditions through food and storytelling fosters a strong sense of identity and family unity.

• Personal Growth: Embracing natural beauty and overcoming personal challenges leads to a sense of liberation and self-acceptance.

• Emotional Resilience: Navigating the complexities of balancing career and family requires making tough choices and letting go of guilt to find peace.

• Compassion and Support: Offering support and creative solutions for listeners dealing with loss highlights the importance of community and empathy.

---

Conclusion

In "Best Bits: Listener Q&A With Morgan and Amy," Morgan and Amy deliver a touching and engaging episode that captures the essence of the holiday season—celebration, remembrance, and connection. Their genuine interactions and heartfelt responses to listener questions showcase the supportive and inclusive spirit of "The Bobby Bones Show." Whether you're seeking advice, relatable stories, or just a bit of holiday cheer, this episode offers something meaningful for everyone.

Wishing all listeners a Merry Christmas and joyous holidays! Be sure to tune in to "The Bobby Bones Show" for more heartwarming content and festive fun.

Transcript

[Savannah Guthrie]

Hi everyone. It's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotney from the Today Show. Nobody does the holidays like today. From festive performances and great gift ideas to tips for the perfect holiday feast. Join us every morning on NBC and make TODAY your home for the holidays.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Morgan]

Deli Mix Crispy Quesadillas.

[Hoda Kotb]

Let's see.

[Morgan]

I'm gonna pop one in the microwave.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, Deli Meg's Crispy Quesadillas are crispy even from a microwave. I can already smell it. Heads up.

[Hoda Kotb]

If you hate loud crunching, you might want to mute. Mmm. So crispy.

[Amy Brown]

Like barely hear myself think crispy.

[Hoda Kotb]

These should come with a warning.

[Morgan]

If this crispiness is making you hungry.

[Amy Brown]

Get to your closest grocery store for Deli Mex Crispy Quesadillas in the frozen aisle.

[Morgan]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

Imagine a place where the party or club night never ends. Where mixes from the globe's most important and forward thinking DJs are curated together into a never ending set that is fully alive and happening around the clock every day of the year. That's Apple Music Club. Listen now on Apple Music Radio. No subscription necessary. Best Bits of the Week with Morgan.

[Hoda Kotb]

Part 3 listener Q& A Merry Almost Christmas everybody. Welcome to the Best Vids. Thanks for tuning in on your holiday break. I assume most of you guys are Amy is joining me this weekend. Make sure you go check out part one. But Amy's still here with me for part three. Amy, how are you?

[Amy Brown]

Hi. Good. And right before we did part three, I just ran up and down some stairs in the parking garage to get something for lunch walks, and I'm out of breath. I was like, oh, okay. I might need to work on my cardio for a second.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. I also feel like when you're rushed, though, too, you just get out of breath a lot quicker and your body's moving very fast.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, no, there's a lot of factors involved. I definitely feel like I'm like, okay, I know I'm taking care of myself and I'm in good shape, but whatever just happened, like, I'm. Maybe it's just time for a break.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely time for a break, which we are gonna have. But first, we have to answer some questions.

[Amy Brown]

Okay.

[Hoda Kotb]

We're gonna start with some shout outs, though. Love you both so much. I look up to y'all. This is From Liv in D.C. thanks, Liv. I love Amy's new hair. Just a shout out from Kristen.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, thank you. I'm trying to get used to it. It's not, like, that much different, but I did have hair extensions, even in my short hair, which is weird sometimes for people to be like, wait, what? Why? With the short? Because I had them when they were long, and then when I cut my hair, I just cut them. And so I had really short hair extensions, which did make it fuller. But anyway, I didn't realize how much blonde was in some of the extensions. And this is not a big deal at all, but it's just one of those things where she took them out and then I didn't get my hair colored or anything. I'm like, oh, okay, now I have short hair, and it's just really brown.

[Hoda Kotb]

Is this your natural hair color?

[Amy Brown]

Pretty much. I mean, there's still some highlights in here, but not like the pops of blonde that I think kind of wake you up or me up.

[Hoda Kotb]

I didn't realize that you were naturally like, that brunette.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, yeah, it's dark.

[Hoda Kotb]

I mean, I see, like, your eyebrows. I guess your sister is brunette, isn't she?

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, she's almost like dark, dark, dark brown to black. My mom was. Same way my dad was the had the lighter hair.

[Hoda Kotb]

So have you always dyed your hair blonde? This is on a tangent.

[Amy Brown]

And then we'll go, no, I've done really dark brown to black before. All over. I mean, that's been in my. Oh, gosh, 20 years ago or so. When I first joined the show a long time ago, it was, like, really, really dark.

[Hoda Kotb]

I think I've only known you up until, like, recently, when you were kind of doing more of the natural or the ombre. Most of the time I think I've known you, you had blonde hair.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, well, my ombre look right now is gray hair coming through on the top. So you're gonna be a silver fox.

[Hoda Kotb]

That's okay.

[Amy Brown]

Maybe, maybe. But it is very freeing. I don't know if any of you have had extensions. The first time I ever got them put in was after my mom died. My hair started falling out. Like, I had long, thick hair. And then I think that's the most stress that I had felt. I don't know. It was just a very stressful time with her death. And then my eating disorder came back all at the same time. So I think my body was freaking out a little bit. And it's healthier now. But I got so used to the extensions, it was hard to get rid of them. But now that they're out, it is so freeing. Like, I take a brush through my hair. So that's why I say if anybody's ever had them, you know what I'm talking about, where you can just take a brush through your entire scalp and not worry about anything getting caught tugging on there. It feels very freeing.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, good. Okay. Well, thanks, Kristen. That's a sweet shout out.

[Amy Brown]

No, that was probably an unexpected. That was a shout out, not a question. So sorry I rambled.

[Hoda Kotb]

No, we were talking about hair. No question. Just want to say I love your podcast and the show. Sadie from Ohio.

[Amy Brown]

Thanks, Sadie.

[Hoda Kotb]

Amazing. Okay, getting into questions now. Any Haitian traditions you incorporate into your holidays? Merry Christmas from Jen.

[Amy Brown]

No traditions that the kids remember and want to bring in? I don't know if there are any. We do it throughout the year. Just a couple of weeks ago, we went to our Haitian spot here in Nashville and picked up food to go, and we go home and we have Haiti night, our Haitian night. And, you know, we try to just talk about Haiti as much as possible, talk about their families. I think it would be natural for me if it's Mother's Day, Father's Day. Not so much Father's Day, because they really don't ever talk about their dads. They just talk about their moms. And I don't. I know where their moms are. I do not know who their dads are. But I would say Christmas, family time, it may bring up thoughts for them. So we just try to talk about it all the time so that it's not difficult if it comes up during more sensitive times because they were so.

[Hoda Kotb]

Young, like when they were in Haiti. Do they have any Christmas traditions that they remember doing.

[Amy Brown]

No, that's what. That's why we don't have any that we have to carry. The main thing for them is the food. They love the food. So I try to make sure just year round to have that or for having a family meal around the table for the holidays. Like, I would imagine next week will be at my sister's. I could see us doing some fried plantains or making some rice and beans to go along with the Christmas meal, because that's what they would enjoy with certain spices and seasonings that they love.

[Hoda Kotb]

I was wondering what those recipes would be, because I'm not sure what Haitian food is specifically like to them.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, there's a specific set of spices that they're used to, but even the ones that I have bought here in America that are the same thing come from a Haitian cookbook that I have from our Haitian friend Mark that lives here. He made a little cookbook. And we do have Haitian friends too, that will all have cook because they know exactly what they're doing. But picking it up at the Haitian restaurant is also really good. But anyway, I'll make it with seasonings that I buy here. And my daughter still, she's like, this is just not the same. The spices, they have to come from Haiti.

[Hoda Kotb]

I do wonder because we. I mean, we Americanize everything. So I do wonder if we Americanize those spices a little bit so they don't taste quite the same.

[Amy Brown]

I don't.

[Hoda Kotb]

I don't.

[Amy Brown]

I don't know. I think it's just in her. I think it could be in her mind, but I respect the fact that also, sometimes it's just that Haitian touch.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Amy Brown]

And maybe you add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and you don't necessarily tell anybody.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Amy Brown]

So then it's like, oh, okay, this is why it tastes so good. But yeah, I try to do it year round, but there's no specific traditions.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay. That's fun. I love. You're gonna shout out the Haitian restaurant just in case.

[Amy Brown]

You watch. Let me look it up on my phone. Cause I don't. I will keep talking and then I'll pull it up. But it's from one of those ghost kitchens. Oh, right around the corner.

[Hoda Kotb]

Nice.

[Amy Brown]

So it's not too far from here and you go and you enter stuff in on a screen. And there's all different types of food.

[Hoda Kotb]

I ordered from ghost kitchens on, like, Uber Eats. I didn't realize there was also, like, ghost menus.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, no. You can show up a lot of People picking up were working for Uber Eats or Doordash. But if you just want to go there, you can enter it in on the screen. And there's a bunch of lockers, and you get a locker code, and it's like, you know, you get locker five, and it gives you a thing. You put your phone up to it, and the locker opens, and voila. There's all this Haitian food sitting there. You don't ever see a human.

[Hoda Kotb]

That's wild.

[Amy Brown]

But if you want Italian, if you want, like, there. If you want. Name it. Chinese, Japanese, like, there's so many options there. Or even, like, a burger and fries. Okay, I'll tell you where it is.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay.

[Amy Brown]

But let me look up the restaurant.

[Hoda Kotb]

We'Re gonna go to. Stephanie, she wants to know how you really feel about Lunchbox Christmas gift that he gave you for our annual Christmas gift exchange.

[Amy Brown]

The eye candy? Yeah, it's on brand. Like, it tracks. It's funny. It's a lunchbox, so I get it. And his wife was literally with him when he picked it out, and that.

[Hoda Kotb]

Does make it not so creepy.

[Amy Brown]

Yes.

[Hoda Kotb]

You know, because she probably picked it out and just handed it to him.

[Amy Brown]

You know, I can laugh at things. Like, it's not. I think some people might really not like that at all. But I. I'm not married anymore. I know that Ben did not like that kind of stuff when we were married. I think Lunchbox did that probably 15, 16 years ago or so. He gave me, like, candy underwear. And I think it was my first. Like, it was my anniversary or maybe my first Christmas after being married a year. And Lunchbox gifted me all kinds of edible things, and he was like, you know, you gotta keep the spark alive. It's. I don't know. He's funny like that. Ben did not think it was funny, though, because I was still very new to the show and very new to understanding Lunchbox. And same with Ben. And he was out of the country a lot, so he didn't really listen to the show and he didn't understand. And we were in our 20s, so think of lunchbox now multiply that by 20.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, I can imagine. He was completely unhinged.

[Amy Brown]

Totally.

[Hoda Kotb]

He also wasn't married then.

[Amy Brown]

Right. He was staying out all night. You can only imagine. We were on a pop station, so.

[Hoda Kotb]

Things were a little less family friendly.

[Amy Brown]

Yes, exactly.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay. Favorite Christmas memory from your childhood? Ashley in Arizona.

[Amy Brown]

Okay, I'll answer that. And real quick. It's Chez Lama. Haitian cuisine.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, nice.

[Amy Brown]

And it's Midtown Foods. Is the Ghost Kitchen situation, in case anybody.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, people love Nashville recommendations. And I'm sure there's people that want Haitian recommendations, so.

[Amy Brown]

Well, yeah, maybe. Or any other type of food, because they have it all. Okay, so what was the question again?

[Hoda Kotb]

Favorite Christmas memory from childhood.

[Amy Brown]

If anybody ever questions if I have adhd, it's hilarious. Probably the year I got a microphone from my grandma. We were in Birmingham, Alabama. All my cousins were over. Everyone got something musical, like, you know, somebody got drums, somebody got this. So my sister and my three cousins, we formed a band, and my microphone was yellow and had a stand, and we performed Kokomo by the Beach Boys.

[Hoda Kotb]

Could you still sing Kokomo right now?

[Amy Brown]

Like Aruba, Jamaica, Ooh, I wanna take you to Bermuda Bahama Come on, pretty mama Key Largo, Montego. Baby, why don't we go down to Kokomo?

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, I didn't know.

[Amy Brown]

It was horrible.

[Hoda Kotb]

No, I didn't know the song, so.

[Amy Brown]

I needed a faster. Then we'll take it slow. That's where we wanna go.

[Hoda Kotb]

Did you guys all tell your grandma collectively that you wanted to form a band? Or what was this music instrument situation?

[Amy Brown]

I don't know. Maybe it was her idea. She was like, oh, maybe I'll just get them all something and then they can play. That'll give them something to do.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, and probably get you guys to bond, too. That was probably something. Oh, that's super sweet. How old were you? Roughly?

[Amy Brown]

Roughly Seven, maybe.

[Hoda Kotb]

And you still remember that?

[Amy Brown]

Oh, yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

Core memory, then. I feel like it's the core memories you remember.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, I don't remember much from my childhood, which. That's a whole nother thing. But, yes, I remember that.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay. Core memory.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

Shout out, Grandma. Kaylee would like to know what kind of cat is Maggie?

[Amy Brown]

Balinese.

[Hoda Kotb]

How is Maggie doing?

[Amy Brown]

She's doing great. Except for she did throw up yesterday. I don't know why, but she seemed okay. It was just one time. And then.

[Hoda Kotb]

Cats always throw up. It's hairballs. She was fine.

[Amy Brown]

So Cara threw up the other day, too, but I know why. She ate a bunch of coffee.

[Hoda Kotb]

So she ate a bunch of coffee? Like coffee grounds and beans?

[Amy Brown]

Yes. Someone had given me a gift here at work, and it was a bag of coffee, and I had it on the counter because I'd unpacked the box and I left the room for a little bit, and then I find the coffee. She didn't eat the whole bag or anything. I think she figured out pretty quickly, this is not good.

[Hoda Kotb]

Didn't like that taste, at least it came out.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, it came out. But Maggie's good. A Balinese is a long haired Siamese. She's cross eyed.

[Hoda Kotb]

How much does Maggie weigh?

[Amy Brown]

Oh, I don't know. Probably more than she should. Let's just say that the reason I.

[Hoda Kotb]

Ask you this is Hazel. My cat is so small and I, I try everything. She eats three times a day, like all day. She has food and she's £7, but.

[Amy Brown]

I think her fur is less.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, she, she's not long haired, she's short haired.

[Amy Brown]

So even Cara, for example, she's a labradoodle. And so when she is shaved down, she looks like a skinny little rat dog.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Amy Brown]

But when her coat is grown out, even just an inch or inch and a half, she looks like the fluffiest, biggest dog you've ever seen. So I think for Maggie, since she's long haired, she looks fluffier and bigger than she is.

[Hoda Kotb]

Have you ever given Maggie a bath? Does she look baths?

[Amy Brown]

Yes, I have. I don't know that she likes it, but yes, I have. Especially when we were first learning how to use the litter robot, she did not like that thing. And I see people rave about the litter robot. So I was very excited to get it and it did not work for our family. I had to sell it because she couldn't figure it out. So now I just use a regular old litter box and we are happy as glam. But that thing, she was ending up with stuff all over her. And so I would want to bathe her. And people, you want to cause a little controversy on Instagram or whatever social media platform you choose, people do not understand or like, if you bathe the cat, I mean some people get it and they're fine, but that will get some attention. And people are just like, what? Cats clean themselves? And I'm like, yes, to a certain extent.

[Hoda Kotb]

But cats also are. There's still animals and they'll still get dirty and they still have moments. Hazel's been bathed. I haven't, I attempted that one time and it was like a scene from a movie. I was in my shower and she was up on the walls and I was like, this is not going well. The Bobby had gifted me like two or three Christmas exchanges ago, like this mobile pet spa. And randomly like, they'll always come like once a month to bathe Remy because Remy needs a good little blowout. But every so often, like, can you guys bathe Hazel? And they will. And Hazel, I guess just sits calmly in the bath for them and they just like. And she they're like, she's literally the most well behaved cat ever. I was like, that was not my experience. This is rude.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, well, they do make little sacks you can put them in that help them feel, like, safe and contained while you're bathing. Like a mesh sack. And then also, I have used a groomer before. Only twice in the entire time that we've had her, which has been several years now, but her hair got really matted in the back. With long hair, you do have to brush a lot. And with the oil buildup, if you don't brush often, which we're not always the best at, it'll build up into these little knots and there's nothing I could do. And I felt bad because I'm pretty sure that's painful on her. I've used a groomer, and, I mean, there's nothing like it. She looks beautiful when they get done with her. And I'm like, well, but I am not paying to have my cat bathed. Sorry. Like, a lot. I will every once in a while.

[Hoda Kotb]

I was gonna say every once in a while that Hazel's like, once a year, maybe if she really needs it or something. It's more just like on a random occasion. Remy, on the other hand, needs one more quite often.

[Amy Brown]

I feel like Remy's so small, you just throw her in the sink.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, I bathe her a lot too, but it's like she needs a good blowout. Cause she won't let me blow dry her hair, and her fur needs to be pulled off of her body, especially when I'm about to, like, shave her down. And so I always have them blow her out and then I do the. Her actual grooming.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Hoda Kotb]

It's a whole process skill set there.

[Amy Brown]

Didn't know you had.

[Hoda Kotb]

It's not a. It's not a professional. Like, anybody who would ever ask me and be like, can you groom my. I'm like, no, I'm not. I just. I can be content with what Remy looks like when I do it. You know what I mean? Versus if somebody else. I'm like, I'm not a professional. I definitely don't have the skill set to, like, make her look like she would from a groomer.

[Amy Brown]

Right.

[Hoda Kotb]

It's just for her to survive, you know? And it looks good. Okay, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back.

[Unknown]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

Hi everyone, it's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb from the Today Show. We love this time of year. There's so much to celebrate. That's right, nobody does the holidays quite like today all season long. Join us for special performances with the brightest, plus festive recipes to whip up the perfect holiday feast and great deals on the hottest toys and gifts for everyone on your list. So join us every morning on NBC to make TODAY your home for the holidays.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Hoda Kotb]

Everybody's always asking for Nashville recommendations so I can share these of mine first and it can make you think. But we had a woman want to know best places in Nashville for a business lunch and dinner. So maybe think of some places you've been for the two that I would come up with for lunch. Postino, which is a new spot in 12 South. They have these amazing different boards from cheese board to hummus board, and they do a fun little happy hour with those boards and wine and stuff. And it's a cool vibe. I feel like it's such a cool spot for a work lunch while also being a little bit fun. And then dinner. I'd say 60 vines, because 60 vines is elegant, but it's upscale American and it's also friendly.

[Amy Brown]

Do you feel like for a business meeting though, it's a little crowded and loud. I don't know what type of business meeting we're having here. So I'm just trying to think. I feel like if you're having a.

[Hoda Kotb]

Business meeting at a thing, you need a vibe.

[Amy Brown]

I get it. Oh, I'm with you. It is a vibe. I love going there, but I'm thinking like, it's just so crap because there's so much happening and it's right off Broadway. It's definitely fun. I'm just trying to think of and.

[Hoda Kotb]

Maybe I have different ideas for business dinner. So that's why I want us both to share.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, I know. Well, maybe by the time it's dinner time, they're just really trying to hang out and get along. But I feel like every time I'm there, it's so. I'm like, what'd you say?

[Hoda Kotb]

What? See, that's also a good perspective too. That's why I didn't choose Blanco, because Blanco for me is even loud. So it's funny that you say 60 vines because they're like, oh, that one's normally okay.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out if Audrey is open for lunch. Have you been there yet in East Nashville?

[Hoda Kotb]

No, but I have heard good things about it. Is it amazing?

[Amy Brown]

My goodness, it's amazing. I don't know that I would say it's a lunch place. And then it also depends on what you're trying to spend because more taking people out. Yes, it's a little nice. It's more of like a date night spot, so scratch that. But Henrietta Red is also so good and cozy. But I don't know that I have good, like, take a bunch of people. How do you know? I was just thinking Barcelona is so good, but I don't know that that's a good Barcelona spot.

[Hoda Kotb]

That could be good for lunch because that does get wild and a little bit louder at night, but they have good lunch. Okay, so maybe Lunchbot Barcelona.

[Amy Brown]

Sorry, I don't know that I'm that helpful. We eat a lot of Chipotle.

[Hoda Kotb]

Chipotle is also a good spot for lunch.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah. But you can get that anywhere, so. Sure wanted Nashville spots. So maybe as we continue talking, I might think of something else.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, we have Melissa in California. Who would like the best tip for balancing a career in kiddos? She is always feeling guilty.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, the best tip is there is no balance. Really? I've learned that from multiple people that have talked about it. The most famous one for sure would be Shonda Rhimes, the TV creator, producer, director, all the things she said it best. And I'm paraphrasing here, but, you know, if she's out doing something for Grey's Anatomy, she's inevitably missing something for her children. And if she's with her children, then she's missing someone's last scene in a show that she's been working on forever. So you. There's. There's give and take, and I don't think you need to feel guilty. You just need to say, in order for me to do this part of my life and pursue this part of my dream, I am going to have to miss out on other parts of my dream. So your kids are important to you, and your job is important to you, and there really is no balance to that. There's just decisions that you have to make. And then you have to surrender and release that guilt because it's doing you no favors carrying it around. Now, if you're in a position where you are literally having to choose work all of the time and you're missing everything with your kids, then, okay, there's room for some guilt. Maybe reflection on how can we remedy this. But if you're doing the best you can to make a hard to make a choice, and it's gonna be hard, then that's where it's at. And you gotta surrender the guilt.

[Hoda Kotb]

Oh, that's really good advice. Also, I didn't know that about Shonda. That's cool.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah. She did a commencement speech a while back. I think it was maybe even the college she went to. But you can look it up on YouTube, watch the entire thing. It's brilliant. She did a great job. She's a wonderful speaker. And it really resonated with me. And since then, I've heard a lot of other people say a similar message and something that they've adopted for their own life. But I think that that's what we have to do. Like, you can't carry that type of guilt. You just have to know, like, you're doing the best that you can and you're living out multiple dreams. Like, if you've wanted to be a good mom and you're getting to do that, that's amazing. If you've wanted to pursue this career and you're getting to do that, that's also amazing. You just gotta make hard decisions sometimes, but release the guilt. Like, I've. I've missed stuff before, and I'm like, ugh. But then I try to be in the moment. I don't wanna miss out on where I am in that present moment because I'm carrying around this guilt. But it's okay to be sad and grieved that I can't be there. And then there's times where I've said no to work for family, not even just my kids. I know that there was a time that I missed I Heart Festival in Vegas, which is very rare. I think I've been to that every single time except for one year. My dad was really sick and he was in Nashville, and I was his primary caregiver. And I just thought, ugh. I think it was like the day before. I was like, there's no way I can leave. And being with my dad was clearly the right decision. I knew it. It was hard to call Jen, our boss, and say, hey, I know everything's already booked, and y'all have me scheduled for interviews, and it. I bet I can't. And I backed out. And that was a hard decision. But also the right Decision. And again, it's. It's not balance. It's just making hard.

[Hoda Kotb]

Always coming in with the wisdom on things.

[Amy Brown]

Oh, it's from other people.

[Hoda Kotb]

No, that was really good. Okay. Speaking of wisdom, we have a last piece here. So we have Laura, who would really like to get a Four Things tote for her fourth kid, but she had gotten one for all of her kids before that. Unfortunately, she lost her kid three days after he was born. As she put. He grew his wings. So she still wants to get one to commemorate that fourth kid. So she's trying to figure out what she should put on the fourth, like the tote, the words, so we can brainstorm here together for her. Maybe some ideas, some words that she can put on that.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah, I think that if you look at what the other totes are for the kids, I don't know if their names are on it. So a name would be one spot if that is the case. If not, what words bring you comfort when you think of him and his situation? I don't really honestly know what would be comforting about that at all, because it's one of the most difficult things ever. I do try to look at the gain, and I don't know what you have gained as a mom going through something so terrible. There's strength, there's tenacity, there's perseverance. There's so many emotions.

[Hoda Kotb]

But I think it could be another word because there's so much love there for them. That's like a hopeful word, maybe.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah. I think this is a really.

[Hoda Kotb]

I know this is a hard question.

[Amy Brown]

Difficult question. I guess I could, but I saw it. Spend some more time on and come up with something meaningful. But I would just maybe dream up to what you thought he might be like. And if there's a word that could describe that. Like, if you just. Sometimes you just know, like, I don't know what number of child it is. They say fourth. Yeah. So fourth child, the youngest. We're normally a little bit spicy.

[Hoda Kotb]

Amy and I can both speak to that.

[Amy Brown]

Yes. And so you may know some of his personality traits just based on the fact that he is your fourth child. And if there's a verse or scripture, I don't know if faith is a part of your life, but I guess just if something has brought you comfort, a quote or a verse pulling from that, which I know a full quote is not going to fit because there's a character limit for each thing. But, like my mom's joy, like when she was going through cancer, Joy was her Motto. But it came from Nehemiah 8, 10. The joy of the Lord is my strength. So, for example, on my mom's tote, we might put Nehemiah 8, 10, and that would sum up that. So if there is a verse or a poem or a quote or a book or anything like that that brought you comfort, you can incorporate that somehow with one of the more powerful words or the title or the passage.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, these are really good. I know this was a hard one, but I saw it come through, and I was like, I feel like we have to help her with this one. Just because that's probably hard to think of right now.

[Amy Brown]

The name. And then, yes, there's other things to describe him, but just brother, because he's the brother, too.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah.

[Amy Brown]

The other siblings.

[Hoda Kotb]

And maybe a middle name, because I imagine he had a first and a middle name. So maybe both of his names. If you just feel like nothing is going to suffice. His names and Scripture and maybe a. You know, love. I'm trying to think of other words.

[Amy Brown]

For love, because you, like, you can even write things out. It does. It can be an action. That's another thing about the four things. Totes is it could be one word, or it can be an action of, we miss you, we love you. Um, you're precious, you are loved. I. And, you know, you can kind of.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay, well, I didn't want to end on that, but that's where we are. Is there any. We're gonna. We're gonna try and go to a different direction just to end on something. Did you have any other suggestions for Nashville? Dinner. Lunch. As we were talking, but I know we changed directions. Those are just.

[Amy Brown]

You know what? My brain is just. It's like, the last few places that I've eaten, literally, are Chipotle, Audrey, Henrietta, Red, and Barcelona. So, like, those are the things that come to my mind. I'm like, where else have I gone? Or what do I like, what's that place we went to for lunch that was so good? We went to a business in Cities. Mediterranean, right next to Barcelona, and it's in Edge Hill. And it is. That's a cute little place.

[Hoda Kotb]

Yeah, that's a good one. For a lunch or a dinner? They do both.

[Amy Brown]

Yeah.

[Hoda Kotb]

Okay.

[Amy Brown]

There we go.

[Hoda Kotb]

We got one. I thought we ended on one. Okay, well, Merry Christmas. Like, early Christmas. Happy holidays, everybody. Amy, thanks for joining.

[Amy Brown]

Thank you.

[Hoda Kotb]

Tell the people where they can find you all that good stuff.

[Amy Brown]

Radio, Amy. That's the easiest place. I feel like sometimes I rattle off, like, tons of stuff. But if you just go there, there's links and all the things, but podcast is four Things with Amy Brown and yeah, hope y'all have the Christmas that you need to have.

[Hoda Kotb]

Very good. Merry Christmas everybody.

[Amy Brown]

Bye.

[Unknown]

That's the best bits of the week with Morgan.

[Amy Brown]

Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the other two this weekend.

[Unknown]

Go follow the show on all social.

[Savannah Guthrie]

Platforms obbyboneshow and follow ebgirlmorgan to submit.

[Unknown]

Your listener questions for next week's episode.

[Morgan]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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[Amy Brown]

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[Savannah Guthrie]

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