MAYBE THE MILLENNIALS HAD IT FIGURED OUT

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz

Episode: MAYBE THE MILLENNIALS HAD IT FIGURED OUT
Date: March 13, 2026
Hosts: Kelly Stumpe & Lizz St. John

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Episode Overview

Kelly and Lizz kick off a classic episode of sisterly banter, lighthearted takes on parenting and car culture, and dive deep into generational trends, plans for friend gatherings, and—of course—a healthy helping of car advice. Framed by the episode title, “Maybe the Millennials Had it Figured Out,” the sisters reflect on the changing experience of adulthood and community, pop culture cycles, and why practical solutions (be it for spray tans or SUVs) matter. Expect relatable stories, auto industry news, practical buyer advice, and a strong undercurrent of finding joy amid everyday chaos—all delivered with high-spirited warmth and signature wit.

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Main Discussion Points & Notable Moments

Life Lately: Puppies, Parenting, and Summer Readiness

[00:02–06:46]

• Puppies as Practice for Parenthood:

  • Lizz discusses integrating a new Golden Retriever puppy into her routine, how parenting has made her more regimented, and compares puppy care with baby care.
  • “A puppy is like a toddler… it’s a lot. It’s almost easier now that I’m a mom.” – Lizz [01:13]
  • Kelly muses on her own dog, Tommy, an unusually massive, chill Australian Shepherd, and why she’s not ready for a second dog.

• The Trauma of First Shorts Season:

  • Kelly and Lizz commiserate over the jarring experience of baring winter legs after long pants season.
  • Discussion on self-tanner disasters vs. pale legs:
    • “A bad spray tan is better than being pale, in my humble opinion.” – Kelly [06:35]
    • Lizz admits to liking the “orange look” on herself.

Nostalgia, Weddings, and the Generational Style Loop

[07:26–11:30]

• Weddings & Regrets:
  • The hosts reminisce about mid-2010s wedding trends (side parts, farm weddings) compared to current trends, and how certain styles cycle in and out.
• Gen Z Reviving 2016 Trends:
  • Frustration and amusement at Gen Z adopting 2016 “millennial” fashion for events like Coachella.
    • “Maybe the millennials had it figured out.” – Lizz [11:18]
    • “We did.” – Kelly [11:28]

Friday Night Plans & How Fun Has Changed

[11:39–17:23]

• A Unique Dinner Party:
  • Kelly shares plans for a dinner hosted by the priests from her parish—a live auction win—riffing on Catholic culture and party games for adults.
    • “If you think that doesn’t sound fun, you just simply don’t know our priests. They are so funny.” – Kelly [12:09]
• Generational Comparison of Social Life:
  • Discussion about how their parents’ generation partied differently—more dinners, more drinking, and more community events—and whether modern parents are missing out.
    • “They had so much more fun at our age than we have at our age.” – Lizz quoting her mother [14:57]
    • “I’m really fine with staying at home with my kids and my husband… that’s fun to me.” – Lizz [16:20]
    • “Maybe we’re just different.” – Kelly [16:09]

Segment: Industry News – Pope Gets a Ford (and So Can You)

[20:13–25:10]

• Headline: Ford gifts an exclusive Explorer Hybrid to Pope Leo, featuring Chicago-specific details as a nod to his roots.
  • “Pope Leo wanted a black vehicle and a hybrid… and they figured out a way to do a hybrid for the platinum Explorer.” – Liz [23:20]
  • Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, personally donated the vehicle—tying in both Catholic roots and clever PR.
• Car Mom Auto Show News:
  • Reminder for listeners to grab tickets, with behind-the-scenes stories about past and upcoming car shows.

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Main Advice Segment: Car Buying Q&A

[29:39–44:29]
Kelly and Lizz field several listener car questions, applying down-to-earth, family-focused advice.

Q1: Full Size SUV or Honda Pilot?

• Scenario: Listener seeks a roomy, safe family car after a traumatizing accident and with a tall husband, two car-seated kids, and frequent road trips.
• Kelly’s Insight:
  • Pilots and midsize SUVs offer plenty of space; recommends checking out the Chevy Traverse or VW Atlas for taller drivers.
  • “Don’t buy an extended wheelbase for the trunk space just for road trips—use a cargo topper.” – Kelly [34:12]

Q2: Single Mom, High Mileage, Third Row on a Budget

• Scenario: New single mom, high mileage driver, needs a third row, limited budget ($40K), open to leases.
• Kelly’s Take:
  • Leasing is inadvisable at 25k miles/year.
  • Recommends a used Toyota Highlander—reliable, holds value, third row, practical choice within budget.

Q3: Two Under Two, Must Have a Bench

• Scenario: Family with two young kids, wants a bench seat for possible future kids, considering new midsize or used full-size SUV.
• Advice:
  • For three-across seating, Atlas is best-in-class, followed by Pilot. Traverse is not great for three-across.
  • If family grows a lot, later upgrade to full-size (e.g., Expedition or Tahoe) is an option.

“That’s why there’s no best family car, because everyone is so different. If there was, I’d be out of work.” – Kelly [44:47]

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Dinner & Domesticity: Ditch the Drive-Thru

[45:05–53:10]

• Kelly’s Hyper-Fixation Meal:
  • Air-fried chicken bites, coleslaw mix, cilantro, lime, cucumber, crispy rice, Aldi’s ginger dressing, soy sauce, and a scoop of peanut butter for an Asian-inspired salad.
    • “I cannot believe I haven’t just been doing this for years.” – Kelly, on air frying chicken [46:21]
• Lizz’s Crunchwrap Supreme Copycat:
  • Big tortillas, queso, ground beef, tostada, cold toppings ; pan-seared for crunch.
  • “It is the only fast food food that I can genuinely remake at home flawlessly.” – Lizz [52:10]

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Notable Quotes

• “A bad spray tan is better than being pale, in my humble opinion.” – Kelly [06:35]
• “Maybe the millennials had it figured out.” – Lizz [11:18]
• “They had so much more fun at our age than we have at our age.” – Lizz quoting her mom [14:57]
• “Don’t buy an extended wheelbase for the trunk space just for road trips—use a cargo topper.” – Kelly [34:12]
• “If there was [a best family car], I’d be out of work.” – Kelly [44:47]
• “I cannot believe I haven’t just been doing this for years.” – Kelly, on air frying chicken [46:21]
• “It is the only fast food food that I can genuinely remake at home flawlessly.” – Lizz [52:10]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:02] – Life updates, puppy stories
• [05:16] – Spring weather and shorts woes
• [06:35] – Spray tan vs. pale debate
• [10:10] – Gen Z’s nostalgia for millennial styles
• [12:09] – Dinner party with priests
• [14:57] – Generational comparison (“more fun at our age”)
• [20:13] – Industry news: Ford & the Pope
• [29:39] – First car advice segment (Full size vs. Pilot)
• [39:39] – Advice for single, high-mileage mom
• [41:11] – Advice for growing family and bench needs
• [45:05] – Ditch the Drive-Thru: favorite “mom meals”

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Tone & Takeaway

The episode is true to the “Carpool” style—warm, irreverent, practical, and deeply relatable for millennial moms. Kelly and Lizz blend sharp, actionable advice with self-deprecating humor and a strong sense of community, making the show an ideal listen (or read) for anyone juggling family, trends, and big car decisions.

Transcript

[Kelly]

Welcome to the carpool podcast with Kelly. But yesterday, I, like, got a new pair of shorts in from Abercrombie. Like, a cute pair of, like, sweatpants shorts. And I was like, oh, I'm gonna wear those shorts. It was jarring to look at my legs.

[Liz]

And Liz. Oh, my God, guys, she can't stop talking about this. That's how you said it. Okay, well, I was gonna gift you a $14 pancake batter dispenser, and it's gonna change your life, but it's fine.

[Kelly]

Your mom time. Welcome back to the Car bowl podcast with Kelly and Liz. Happy Friday, everyone.

[Liz]

This has been the longest. Maybe it's having a third child, but this is just the longest week of my entire life.

[Kelly]

It's Tuesday at the time of our recording.

[Liz]

No, I know. I say that because it was literally Monday, and we went to our neighbor's house to grill. I was like, so, what are you doing this weekend? And I'm like, that's an inappropriate question to ask on a Monday.

[Kelly]

Is it just, like, the puppy keeping you up? Are you sleep deprived?

[Liz]

Well, I'm not. Because Maddie's hand that well.

[Kelly]

As he should.

[Liz]

Well, yeah, and I'm so thankful. But, you know, it's. It is like, that level of, okay, well, I know where the kids are, and I'm like, maddie, you got eyes on the dog? And he's like, whoa, sorry. Where'd the dog go? Like, when we're inside, everything's fine, but it's another person, another life to look out for. And there is a level of transition that you have to go through, and it's fine. But, like, a puppy is like a baby. Like a toddler, except it's like a toddler because they're moving. Like, a baby is actually easier.

[Kelly]

Has he, like, chewed anything in your house? Because I've heard or you told me that Goldens are chewers.

[Liz]

No, we've actually done a really. Here's what's interesting. Now, when we had our other dogs, like, that we, like, kind of, like, loosely crate train. Like, we'd create train at night. Like, we weren't really crate. We'd put them on in crates when we would leave. But, like, I really let puppies, like, nap in bed with me. And, like, oh, because I've got free time, I' lay down and, like, watch TV in the middle of the day. Like, you take a nap on me. And now we're very regimented, where it's like, oh, you're ready for a nap. You're gonna go in your Crate, which is good for you because the kids won't be able to get to you. You can actually relax. And it's. It's a lot. It's almost easier now that I'm a mom, because when that nap time comes, I'm like, the best nap for you is away from everyone in a crib. And now I get to go do. Now I need to go do something. Like, I'm not sitting down relaxing. Like, let's just like love and dove and pet lay veg out on the couch. So he all is to say, and the weather's been really nice. So also say he hasn't spent that much time inside unattended. Like, if he. We're either outside all playing or we're inside and he's taking a nap in his crate. So there's a level of it that's been easier.

[Kelly]

So do you recommend.

[Liz]

You know, I do the Seeing my children with a puppy.

[Kelly]

Well, that's. Yeah, that's. That's fine.

[Liz]

The greatest gift. I, again, I'm not getting up in the middle of the night with the dog, so that's not really bothering me. But I. I know my husband is. And so then I'm like, oh, I feel bad that he's gonna be tired the next day or whatever. And like, now the kids are all sleeping through the night. And, you know, we're gonna be welcome. Welcoming a baby in a few months, and then it's just gonna be the endless cycle again.

[Elizabeth]

But

[Liz]

I don't know, I. I would also say, like, my tolerance for, like, whining has. Like, when you have that. When you have that first kid and they're crying in their crib, you're like, it's gut wrenching. And then by the time, like, you are, like, you kind of get it. And so it's. When I hear a puppy, like, whining in a crate after I put them in there. Doesn't affect me. Yeah. Used to make me feel bad does. I'm like, you. You'll wear yourself out. You need to take a nap. You're tired.

[Kelly]

I feel like Tyler's, like, trying to convince me, which I don't know why, because, like, he'll probably just do it. I don't think we're gonna do it, though. We have, like. I know I don't talk about Tommy enough in my life, but, like, Tommy is the best dog on the face of the earth. Like, this dog, he just doesn't bark, doesn't jump. Like, he's just. He's a big cat. But he's a 80 pound Australian Shepherd. Like, he's the biggest Australian shepherd you've ever seen in your life. Like, they literally stopped breeding the dad because his. His dog has got too big. So I think that makes him very chill. His size.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Because they say, like, Great Danes are like a super chill dog.

[Kelly]

Yeah. And he's only 6. And I also don't think. Well, he's actually. He's almost seven. I actually don't think Tommy would enjoy a puppy. I need to see Tommy with your pup.

[Liz]

Tommy. Yeah. No, I don't think. I also don't. Tommy is not much of, like, a player. Yeah.

[Kelly]

No.

[Liz]

Like, you don't like, snap.

[Kelly]

He's a cat.

[Liz]

Yeah. Like you. Like when we had text, like, we would be throwing the frisbee for text. Like, Tex was always wanting to play Tommy's. Tommy doesn't really play.

[Kelly]

No. Tommy likes to chase the barn cat sometimes. And that's about the extent of his play.

[Liz]

Yeah. And then he needs a nap.

[Kelly]

But anyway, it has been such beautiful weather here. Like, groundhog who. Like, this is spring as far as I'm concerned.

[Liz]

It's been.

[Kelly]

It's gonna be 84 degrees today.

[Liz]

My legs are not prepared for that.

[Kelly]

You forget. Like, of course, like, I see my legs in the winter months. Like, of course, like, going from the shower to, like, the sweatpants. Like, I see my legs. But yesterday I, like, got a new pair of shorts in from Abercrombie. Like, a cute pair of, like, sweatpants shorts. And I was like, I'm gonna wear those shorts. It was jarring to look at my legs. All the spots that, like, I've missed shaving. The discoloration, the dryness. Like, it was. It shocked my system.

[Liz]

No, I know in like 84 degrees. Like, you have to be in shorts.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

I need, like, a few weeks of nice weather where I have nothing to do because I need, like, some private time to, like, sit outside and get.

[Kelly]

I need private time. I need private time. I mean, I need to put self tanner on. The thing with self tanner, though, is it just. If you don't have a good base tan, it just has consequences. And those consequences then look like you have scales.

[Liz]

Yeah. So hard tan scales or.

[Kelly]

Oh, tan scales.

[Liz]

I would take tan scales, though.

[Kelly]

I know people are always, like, People always ask me for, like, my spray tan recipe. It's like, let me, like, I just ask for dark amethyst and it's like. But don't, don't, don't you turn a little orange. It's Like. Yes. Does it get on your hands? Yes.

[Liz]

No.

[Kelly]

Can you see it on your feet? Yes. But let me be clear. A bad spray tan is better than being pale, in my humble opinion. Give me a bad spray tan. I still like it better.

[Liz]

No, I like. I like an orange look on me.

[Kelly]

Totally orange. I want my money's worth, right?

[Liz]

So I'm with you.

[Kelly]

I've never been self tan. Like, I've never had a person spraying before. I've always ever done booths, which I feel like is kind of crazy.

[Liz]

You didn't ever. You didn't even do that for, like, your wedding?

[Kelly]

No, I'm like. A bad spray tan is like Palm

[Liz]

beach before your wedding and you had. Your palms were a little bit darker than the rest of your hands.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Didn't bother me none.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah.

[Liz]

That was the only time it was for my wedding, was the only time I've been sprayed by a person.

[Kelly]

Do you ever wish maybe not because, like, you just got married, but, like, I got married in, like, 2017 and it was a certain look, and there is days where I wish I could, like, do it again?

[Liz]

Do you wish that what you're saying is you wish you got married when middle parts were in and not side parts?

[Kelly]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Because I actually. I love my dress. My dress stands the test of time.

[Liz]

Your dress is timeless. Your wedding was very timeless. I mean, you. I think that in the world of when people like you, you didn't get married in 2012 where, like, the barn look was in with, like, sunflowers and mason jars. You did a very classy, intentional bar or farm wedding, because it was literally at the farm. And I mean, yeah, there were stumps as centerpieces, but it worked, I think.

[Kelly]

Well, it was a stumpy.

[Liz]

That's what I'm saying. Like, I think it worked. I think it was timeless. I think it. No.

[Kelly]

Okay, first of all, I don't. I. I'm only talking about my hair.

[Liz]

Like, okay, yeah, I wanted. I wanted to. I figured you were just talking about your hair.

[Kelly]

Yeah, no, I was gonna talk about my hair. I just.

[Liz]

Stunning.

[Kelly]

I did a half up, half down. And I think hindsight, it was too casual of a look. Like a hair look. Like, I wish I would have gone all up.

[Liz]

Oh, I disagree. You're. You're. Kelly. You are a hair down girl. You will be changing, like, the nastiest poopy diaper with your hair down. Like, you're no crazy. So you. To see. See you in an updo would be Weird.

[Kelly]

But she side parted me so hard. So hard. Yeah, like, it's the sidiest side part. And then, like, I didn't stand, like, for our alter pictures. Like, our, like, pictures of me and Tyler. I'm like, standing on the wrong side. So it's like just ear and, like, apart. Like, it's so tragic. How did we get on this?

[Liz]

I'm just saying, just side. I don't know. I don't know. But anyway, you wish you got married later when side parts weren't in.

[Kelly]

Yeah, I need side parts to come back. You know what? I. You know what? Hairstyle. I'm just, like, itching to come back. Hasn't been back since the 80s and I'm kind of ready for it to come. A side pony. No, because all my Fisher Price dolls that I've bought have side ponies and they're kind of darling.

[Liz]

Yeah, no, I think I'm okay with that one in the past.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Because I think you need the rest of the 80s get up to make it work.

[Kelly]

Sure. That's a good point.

[Liz]

Because I have a secret. I have been side parting.

[Kelly]

Well, I think it's a more flat. It's just. Here's the thing. Let me be clear. I like a side part. You guys don't understand how dramatic my side part used to be.

[Liz]

It was like, from your wedding.

[Kelly]

It was really bad. It was really bad. Yeah, it was distracting. But what I find so interesting about, like, the times right now is I feel like whenever I'm on tick tock, Gen Z's are like, oh, my gosh, this is so 2016. It's like, that was nine years ago. Like, you guys are already wanting to, like, wear things and, like, do things. Like, apparently, like, Coachella 2016 is, like, trending. Like, that's what everyone wants to wear to Coachella this year. I mean, it was nine years ago. Like, you can't go back a little further.

[Liz]

The same little. I'm not gonna say a bad word, but you know the word what I want to say that bullied us, calling us cheugy because we wore X, Y and Z. Are now wanting to come for our 2016 style.

[Kelly]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Liz]

That's, like, actually so annoying.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Like, I. It's like, like they. They 2000s was trying. Like, now we're just getting up and up and up. Like now. Literally 2016, nine years ago or 10 years ago.

[Liz]

I'm sorry, I. I actually. I mean, I agree with them. Like, I think a fringe top and a Feather in your hair to go to a music festival is a really cute look.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

I think Coachella got like, really weird and I think that was their doing. And I think now they're like, maybe we need to just go back to. Maybe the millennials had it figured out.

[Kelly]

Well, we did.

[Elizabeth]

We did.

[Liz]

And we did.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Anyway, also say is today's Friday. It's amazing weather outside. I'm doing something so fun tonight.

[Liz]

I know. And I still have to find a babysitter for it.

[Kelly]

And Elizabeth's coming. If she can find a babysitter.

[Liz]

Pending that I can find a babysitter.

[Kelly]

So at the dinner auction, I did a live auction, you know, a hand up. And I was, I just, I didn't stop. And I won dinner with the priests, where the priests of our parish come and make us dinner. And if you think that doesn't sound fun, you just simply don't know our priests because our priests are so fun. Two of them are my age. We have three. Three. Three in total are coming. Two of them are my age and then one's a little bit older. They are so funny.

[Liz]

What's on the menu?

[Kelly]

They're cooking. The priests cook.

[Liz]

I know. What? Do you know what they're making?

[Kelly]

Well, no, but I just use a Friday in Lent and they were like, so we have to do fish. And I'm like, obviously.

[Liz]

Yeah, fish or pasta.

[Kelly]

Yeah, fish or pasta. So I think we're doing. I think they're doing fish.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

But I'm so excited. So like all of our friends are coming and it's just gonna be like a grand old time.

[Liz]

Yeah, no, I know. I need to. I have like one saving grace of a babysitter option and I need to work on that today.

[Kelly]

Well, if not, you should just bring your kids and put them up. You can put them in my basement because my kids aren't going to be here. My mother in law did something so kind for me and she's taking my kids for the night, all four of them. Wow. Yeah. And you know how much I love being in my house without my kids. Not because I don't love my kids, but because I love my house and I never get to enjoy it clean. I never get to enjoy it clean.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

So I'm looking forward to cleaning my house, inviting adults over and. Yeah, I'm trying to set up. I'm gonna like play a game or like if we're just gonna like let like let the convo flow. The.

[Liz]

I think could be fun.

[Kelly]

Yeah. The game I was thinking of Well, I saw this on Instagram, and you hold a ping pong ball in one hand and an egg in the other, and you have to throw. Like, just toss and catch the ping pong. No, toss and catch the egg. And you have to bounce the ping pong ball. Okay. And then someone will be like, egg, egg, egg, ping pong switch. And they just switch them. And like, the joke is, it's like, do you. Like, when do you drop the A? Because you think it's the ping pong ball.

[Liz]

Okay, but you have to do that outside.

[Kelly]

No, I don't think so. I think it's just, like, a counter thing.

[Liz]

Oh, but you want to clean up egg on your counter.

[Kelly]

Yeah, maybe not. My husband certainly won't like that.

[Liz]

No, I think it's. But I think an outside activity is fine.

[Kelly]

Could be a fun. Just, like, put that game in your back pocket. I don't think an outside activity is really the vibe, because I don't want to separate the party.

[Liz]

Totally.

[Kelly]

Or I was thinking threes are free, which is like a fun dice game that we know. Yeah. But I could also see this crowd just being like, no, we don't want to play games.

[Liz]

Well, yeah, no, but I feel like when you have kids around, all you can do is, like, chat. So it's like, this feels like the opportunity to play.

[Kelly]

Or it's like, do we just go, so 2016 and bring out the flip cup?

[Liz]

You know what mom told maybe. You know what mom told me today? She's having a conversation with, like, a friend. Like, a friend of hers who they used to hang out with a lot of, like, when we were younger. Like, he played the. The man played football with dad. So, like, they knew him in college and then, like, into their young adulthood, and they were having a conversation about. And so they have kids our age, and they were saying how they have so much more fun, that they had so much more fun at our age than we have at our age.

[Kelly]

Mom has told me that also. No.

[Elizabeth]

Yes.

[Kelly]

Let's dive into this. Mom, literally the other day, I was like, yeah, I'm just, like, not drinking as much. She's like, I, like, just started drinking when I was your age. And I'm like, okay.

[Liz]

They definitely like that generation. The less and less people are. People are drinking less and less. That generation drank a lot more. We, I feel like, are drinking less. And then, you know, there's studies like, alcohol companies are big. Alcohol is feeling the hurt of Gen Z not drinking as much as even our generation as millennials. So drinking is becoming like, a little bit less of a thing. I do think that has to do with the. They had. Their perception is that they had more fun. But also, I don't know, I think they just, like, plan more things. Like, they had mom and. Mom and dad had dinner parties. Like, they would go out. Like they had people over. Like, I don't know, they just seem to do more. Maybe there was more of like a community aspect to it. But I don't. I don't know. I just also. It's so hard to do anything right now. It feels like.

[Kelly]

Yeah, I don't know either. I feel like I do a decent amount of fun things. But I agree. I remember, like, I think mom and dad had more fun than we did at our age. But I'm having fun. I'm not really looking to do more things. Maybe we're just different.

[Liz]

I also just, like, am also really fine with, like, staying at home with my kids and my husband. Like, that's just like, I have a lot of fun hanging out with them.

[Kelly]

That's fun to me.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But I am looking forward to my dinner tonight.

[Liz]

Also say, I think an activity could be like a memory making thing.

[Kelly]

Well, and they do say that if you want to, like, grow your friendships deeper to do activities. I do feel like dinner with the priest is enough of an activity. You know, like, they're coming to my house. Like, it'll be some good camaraderie. I might make margaritas. I might bring out my shot glasses. Like, I don't know, it could get. It could get kind of wild. This is kind of like when. When provoked. This is kind of a drinking crowd. Who's coming? Yeah, and I am including the priests.

[Liz]

Well, because Catholics don't say anything about not drinking. That's like one thing in our faith that's like, not.

[Kelly]

That's pretty much like a major perk.

[Liz]

Yeah, I mean, we have wine every Sunday.

[Kelly]

Literally the blood of Christ. So anyway, that's tonight, so stay tuned.

[Elizabeth]

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[Liz]

Where do you want to be a year from now?

[Elizabeth]

Who do you want to be? And maybe more importantly, who's on your team helping you get there? Because the right therapist, someone who makes you feel comfortable, challenges you in the right ways, and has the clinical skills to support you, can make a huge difference. That's why I tell you about alma. Alma's on mission to simplify access to high quality, affordable mental health care, and they've built a nationwide network of over 20, 000 diverse therapists. What's great about their platform is it's easy to find someone who fits your needs. You can browse their therapist directory without

[Liz]

even having to make an account.

[Elizabeth]

And you can filter things like insurance, gender and therapeutic approach and more. And affordability matters. 99 of Alma therapists accept insurance and people who find a therapist through Alma, saving on average of 80% on the cost of sessions. They even have a free insurance cost estimator so you would know exactly what you'll pay up front.

[Liz]

A year from today isn't that far away.

[Elizabeth]

Get started now at hello Alma.com/Carpool. That's hello Alma A L M A.com/Carpool C A R P O O L

[Kelly]

And aside from that, should we just. Can we just get into industry news Is kind of a good segue.

[Liz]

Yeah. We're going to go out of order today. Yeah.

[Kelly]

Okay, so now it's time for industry news. Rise with a hot tea going into the auto industry because Ford, speaking of priests, Ford surprised Pope Leo with a custom Explorer. Talk about. This is the ultimate Karm story.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah.

[Liz]

This is like the ultimate collab.

[Kelly]

I mean, could be an expedition, which I feel like should have been an expedition, like the Pope, because here's the thing. The Pope is not driving himself, obviously.

[Liz]

Sure.

[Kelly]

And, yeah, the Expedition's much more of a chauffeur type car.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

So I do think they should have done an expedition.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But I'm wondering if there's, like, one. A better PR for the Explorer. Probably, but so cute. They put, like, the Chicago sky on

[Liz]

it, like, because he's from Chicago, flag on it everywhere.

[Kelly]

So fun.

[Liz]

It's so fun. It's really cute. It was a good collab. I wonder if they've done this in the past. I was kind of, like, surprised to see this.

[Kelly]

Well. And I don't even think they collabed.

[Liz]

Just like a PR thing.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Like, they just made it for him.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Like, popular. Didn't have a hand in it.

[Liz]

No.

[Kelly]

Kind of like a major gift, though.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Is Jim Farley Catholic?

[Liz]

See, I don't know.

[Kelly]

The CEO of Ford. It does feel a little like. I mean, I'm so happy about it. It does feel a little random.

[Liz]

Yeah. Like, it just.

[Kelly]

Like it wasn't a story I was expecting to see.

[Liz]

No, no, I know.

[Kelly]

And I don't think he'll drive it.

[Liz]

No. Again, I really think it's probably just a PR thing when most things are.

[Kelly]

And that's what you have to remember in this world of marketing.

[Liz]

Let me see if he's Catholic. Oh. Jim Farley, the current CEO of Ford Motor Company, comes from a family with deep Catholic roots in Detroit. With his grandfather having raised funds for the Pope. He also attended Catholic prep school.

[Elizabeth]

Okay.

[Kelly]

Jim Farley. That's fun.

[Liz]

It was the high. Okay. It was the highest trim level. I'm reading about the car now.

[Kelly]

Well, I would hope so. I mean, can you imagine?

[Liz]

It's a hybrid.

[Kelly]

Yeah. That's nice.

[Liz]

I'm just, like, wondering, like, did they actually send it to.

[Kelly]

Well, yeah, I think. I think they sent it to the Vatican. We'll see what happens with it.

[Liz]

They send it to Rome. There you go.

[Kelly]

Does it say anything about, like, why they chose the Explorer?

[Liz]

Farley's faith led him to reach out to the Vatican. Probably should have, like, Read this whole article before. Just, like, talking.

[Kelly]

Sorry, the headline was just so captivating.

[Liz]

I reached out to the Vatican a few months ago, and that's how this began. Pope Leo has deep roots in Chicago's south side, just like Ford. We thought it would be especially fitting for him to drive Explorer built at our Chicago assembly plant, which has been in continuous operation for more than a century. So it's because the Explorer is built in Chicago.

[Kelly]

That's so cute.

[Liz]

This is, like, so cute. Pope Leo wanted a black vehicle and a hybrid. At the moment, a customer can't order this system, but we do have a hybrid systems for police vehicles. So they figured out a way to do a hybrid for the platinum Explorer. So, no, like, Pope Leo was, like, very involved in this.

[Kelly]

Wait, we should have read the article. I'm so sorry, everyone, but how fun that you're. How fun that we're all doing this together. I know, because I was gonna say, I thought they stopped making the Explorer hybrid. Unless you're Pope Leo.

[Liz]

Pope Leo. So Jim and his wife made the donation personally, but it only became possible because of the group of Ford employees helped to bring this special vehicle to life. The team in Chicago knew they were customizing a VIP vehicle, but we kept the details tightly held until everything was complete. No, this is, like. It's, like, even cuter as it goes on. Like, literally, Ford didn't send it. Like, Jim Farley and his wife sent it.

[Elizabeth]

Obsessed.

[Liz]

No, it's, like, so great.

[Kelly]

Okay, well, that's industry news, everyone.

[Liz]

That's a good one. That's, like, a great thing to bring about a fish Friday night, Elizabeth.

[Kelly]

Totally just a great thing for anybody to bring up. Speaking of industry news, auto show tickets are available. Get your tickets. I believe the VIP night is sold out. So that's sad for you guys if you missed it, but you can still get tickets to the regular auto show. We will still be there the whole day. And I have been similar to Pope Leo. I have been in contact with manufacturers, and I am cultivating the best. The best inventory I've ever had at the auto show. I'm very excited about it.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And I will be sure, like, literally, like, every manufacturer's chomping at the bit to send their cars, and I'm literally having to tell them, like, no, sorry, you can only send two because, like, they all want to send them. It's so crazy.

[Liz]

No, it's really fun, and it's. It's really exciting because, like, if you guys would see, like, what we had to do to Set up the auto show in the past. Like, Kelly and I are spending multiple days driving all around St. Louis picking up cars from dealerships. Like, it was such. We had so many friends volunteer to help us to do this. It was such a pain in the butt, but worth it. So if we can just get, like, some brought to us, then it will make our life so much easier.

[Kelly]

So anyway, that's your industry news, Liz. What is next? I believe we have some advice questions, and then we'll do ditch the drive.

[Liz]

We do have some advice questions.

[Kelly]

I mean, we were gonna do last three transactions today, but I have already told you all my recent transactions, so, I mean, if you want to spill.

[Liz]

Well, you know, I recently realized that it's, like, so crazy. You have to, like, buy a whole wardrobe of your for your children every season.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

And I didn't realize this with James because I got so many hand me downs from you because him and Fred were, like, far enough apart. But Sloan, I have nothing. And so I just had to place, like, a huge gap order. They were having a sale, and I like gaps clothes, but it was just, like, pieces. Like, it's not a full wardrobe. So I'm actually gonna go to the JBF sale, just between friends, secondhand sale next week. Just. This is, like, my favorite. I think this is actually my favorite sale to go to because I can get all of our summer stuff. Yeah. Like the August sale. I find it harder because I'm like, I'm not. I could buy stuff for Christmas, but, like, I'm inevitably gonna give it to them before Christ. Yeah. So this one I'm really excited to go to. Okay. That's what that was my big last three. One of my big last three transactions. Oh, also, I post this on my stories. I haven't talked about this, but I got a. You need to buy this, Kelly. It's a pancake batter dispenser.

[Kelly]

Oh, my gosh. She won't stop talking about this. You guys.

[Liz]

I've literally never talked to you about it one single time. That's a crazy thing for you to say.

[Kelly]

That's not true. I heard you while I'm talking about it, and then I saw you posting about it and I bringing it up here.

[Liz]

I posted about it one time. When did you hear me and mom talking about it?

[Kelly]

I don't know. I've heard it before. But I'm happy for you. Sorry. I'm sorry.

[Liz]

And to think I was gonna gift you one because I was like, Kelly could really use this in her life. No, Fine. No, it wasn't something sassy. Fine. You can. You can scoop your pancake batter out.

[Kelly]

I wasn't being sassy. I said she can't stop talking about this. It's like a compliment. Like, I'm happy you're showing passion for something.

[Liz]

No, you rolled your eyes when you said it.

[Kelly]

Roll the tape.

[Liz]

I will.

[Kelly]

I did not roll my eyes.

[Liz]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Guys, she can't stop talking about this. That's how you said it. Okay, well, I was gonna gift you a 14 pancake batter dispenser, and it's gonna change your life, but it's fine. It's fine.

[Kelly]

Hot take. I'm not.

[Liz]

We're not doing what you're doing.

[Kelly]

Hot take. We're not a pancake family.

[Liz]

Oh, okay. Well, maybe not. You would be a little bit more joyful. Are we gonna really came for my pancake battered? Spencer and I'm gonna.

[Kelly]

We're really gonna fight on this podcast right now. Do you have a skillet or, like a griddle?

[Liz]

Yeah, mom gave us both one for. Mom gave us both one for Christmas.

[Kelly]

I don't need to find that.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

Anyway, tell us about your. Your batter dispenser.

[Liz]

Well, it's just. I mean, it's.

[Elizabeth]

You.

[Liz]

Can you mix the batter in the dispenser so you don't have to get a bowl dirty? You don't have to go. You shake it. It comes with, like, a protein shaker. It's a protein shaker. Like, those things, and then you just plop them out and they create perfect circles every time. And it's not messy at all.

[Kelly]

Okay, I retract my form eye roll.

[Liz]

Thank you so much.

[Kelly]

I didn't know two things. I didn't know you could mix it in there. Yeah. So that's incredible. And I didn't account for the fact then you're not, like, gonna have, like, spoon drippings from the bowl to the stove.

[Liz]

That's, like, the big thing about it. And it's really. It's really quick so that you're also not. You know, sometimes when you're doing the spoon to the. To the griddle or however you. It takes a minute to, like, get to get each one so then they're not cooking all at the same. Like, this is squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip. But I'm a restaurant. Anyway, it's from Amazon. It's a great buy.

[Kelly]

Okay, I'll consider.

[Liz]

Okay, we can move on to advice questions. Full size versus pilot.

[Kelly]

This is hard.

[Liz]

Hi, Kelly.

[Kelly]

Hi, Jen.

[Liz]

A little background. I was hit by a semi in, in a Civic about nine years ago.

[Kelly]

Gosh.

[Liz]

She did. I'm sorry. She did send like the beginning stuff, but I just wanted to get to the question and walked away from it. Are you laughing? Sorry. This is not funny. This is like a. That's like a horrific thing to happen. Okay.

[Kelly]

You just like skipped her pleasantries.

[Liz]

I jumped right into it. I'm sorry. Okay. And she walked away from it. So she has an unrealistic image of Honda being super safe. That's a thing. People who get in accidents in that car.

[Kelly]

That's a thing. I won't touch though, because I. Who am I to say if you feel like the car saved your life? I agree with you.

[Liz]

Yeah, totally.

[Kelly]

Get the car again.

[Liz]

I agree. Okay, so she has an image of Honda being super safe because of the incident. I hate not being the biggest thing on the road. My husband and I are getting ready to move out of a 2016 Ford Edge. Our other car is a 24 fold F150. I used to have a Suburban and loved it. However, we're not in a position to spend 70k on a vehicle and I prefer not to buy with high mileage. We have two kids in car seats, a dog and my husband is six, seven, so space is huge for us. We travel three hours each way one to two times a month and do a quarterly five to eight hour trip each way to see family. We're considering a full size vehicles and the Honda Pilot. I want the third road for our dog, but I just don't know if I'm going to have the same feeling in the Pilot as I do that, that I do in the Edge of it being too small. If we go full size, I feel like we need the Expedition Max Yukon XL or the Suburban versus the shorter versions of the vehicle so we have room for our bags. The third row up. Objectively, am I crazy for feeling like we need a second large vehicle and all of these options. What would you recommend the most bang for our buck on how much we travel.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks so much for your help.

[Liz]

So the other thing is that they have the 24F150 and they, they have two kids but they do have a dog. So I think they're trying to decide like what to do. I do think it's kind of. I do think it's kind of interesting though. She's like Honda Pilot or long wheelbase car.

[Kelly]

Well, I don't think she wants a long wheelbase car. I don't think they have. I don't think she wants to spend the money. Like I know what she said but like I just don't think she wants to spend the money or deal with the mileage. So I think you will be happier in, in, in something in the midsize category. And I don't think I agree with you. I don't think you need a full size. I mean you're going from a Ford Edge now like it's. Which is such a good car. Like love that car. I don't hate the pilot. How old are her kids?

[Liz]

She didn't. She just said we have two kids in car seats.

[Kelly]

Car seats. I'm a little worried about the leg room for the tall husband with car seats behind him if I'm being honest. I don't wonder if like the Traverse or the Alice would be better options which are very similar in size to the pilot. They're both top safety picks from the IHS as well. All three of them are. But I don't hate the pilot.

[Liz]

I. We also don't know if the kids are forward facing though.

[Elizabeth]

That's true.

[Kelly]

We also don't know like I think she's asking pilot or full size. So I think she has like maybe other reasons. I don't want to try to talk her out of a Honda because I think it's, I think it'll work.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

I don't think you need a full size. So I'm going to lock in with the pilot.

[Liz]

Okay. I think you should do what we did with Merrick and you should go see the pilot and then you should go see a short wheelbase, full size.

[Kelly]

Totally still the money thing because you.

[Liz]

Yeah, because it's just interesting because she said we're not in a position to spend 70k on a vehicle. But then she says if we go full size I feel like we need the Expedition Max.

[Kelly]

Why do you need the Exhibition Max? Like that's a crazy that you don't need the exhibition max.

[Liz]

I just, I urge you because if you're. If you. Because she said because we want the more room with the trunks but like the, that the trunk space is going to be better in the regular Expedition than it is in the Honda Pilot. Yeah. So I just, I would just urge you to actually go take a look at them both and that's good advice. Okay, next question.

[Kelly]

I also think like, just like on the topic of trunk space like and I mean, I mean this with such love for you guys. I think some of us are a little dramatic with the amount of trunk space we need. And I'm going to be totally honest with you. Some of us are not. But again, like, let's not buy. I don't think you should buy an extended wheelbase for the trunk space for the road trips. I think you should get a cargo cover, a cargo topper. I think you should be more mindful about how you're packing. I just feel like unless you need the extended wheelbase or the bigger trunk for your daily life, I think there's other workarounds that you can use. Mm. It's the Max. I can't express to you if you've never driven the difference between the Expedition, the Expedition Max, or the Tahoe versus the Suburban. The extended wheelbases drive so much different. They're so much more expensive, and they're so much harder to park. Like, they feel so much bigger. It's sometimes such a difference.

[Liz]

Sometimes they don't fit in your garage.

[Kelly]

Sometimes they don't fit in the garage. So, like, it's just such an extra step if you're not needing the trunk for your daily life. And again, like, the Expedition trunk is okay as is. It's like, to your point, it's the same size as anything in the mid size in anything in the mid size category.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Sometimes I just think people are, like, kind of overshooting the trunk space they need. Like, I'm not gonna debate you. I'm not gonna debate the hockey or the lacrosse moms, because, like, yeah, sure, you probably do need that trunk space, but, like, stack tall. You know what I mean? Let's stack it tall. You're fine. You're probably fine.

[Liz]

And I mean, I do think to your point, like, because they do sound like a fan. Like, they travel a lot, so, like, they are kind of a road trip family. So. But if you are a road trip family, I could see the argument made that maybe you want the full size. But I could also see the argument made that actually investing in a good cargo topper, you're the perfect person to invest in it. Because if you're just doing it occasionally. Yeah. Then it might be like, okay, well, then we gotta buy it and we gotta store it and all the things. But if you're using it all the time, you know. Yeah, I agree. It's probably a good thing to invest in.

[Elizabeth]

Today's episode is brought to you by skylight. I have had my skylight for over a year now, and I really like it for my family. It works well for meal planning. I can schedule our meals and our grocery lists all on the app and I can see it so it reminds me on the calendar. I also like it for the shared calendar and most of the time though it is just running as like a picture frame so we have pictures that

[Liz]

pop up all through the app all

[Elizabeth]

controlled through the app. The Skylight Calendar is just so great to keep my family organized. It was designed to connect the digital and non digital worlds while bringing families together. It's a wi fi connected digital display that showcases your family schedule with clarity, color and and brilliance in either a 10 or 15 inch HD touchscreen. This all in one smart calendar syncs seamlessly with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook and more giving you customizable customizable views for daily, weekly or monthly planning. This is really nice for me and Maddie to keep our two calendars all organized. Your happiness is Skylight's happiness. So if if in 120 days you are not 100% thrilled with your purchase, you can return it for a full refund. No questions asked. For right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to my skylight.com carpool go to my skylight.com Carpool for $30 off your 15 inch calendar that is M Y S K Y L I G H T dot com carpool okay, next question.

[Liz]

I'll read the the pleasantries first. Hi. First and foremost I love the pot and all your content. My sisters and I are best seen other families with close bonds like mine. A little bit about me. Are we ready to learn now? Sorry, I'm like I can feel the giggles coming on. Like you know when you just like have to laugh at everything like you're in church and like you're not supposed to laugh but you can't. I'm feeling that coming on so I'm sorry if I start acting inappropriate. Okay, a little about Me I am a new single mom with two little girls. My oldest is 3 and my youngest is 2 ish. They are in they are both in Graco slim fits. I just had to give my ex husband our 23 Honda Pilot and I got the 2014 Mazda CX5. While I love the CX5 when I was in college, I now hate it with the girls. I need to get something bigger but I'm very overwhelmed on where to start. Below I've listed a few things to help you steer me in the right direction. I trust you explicitly. I've opened I'm open to leasing since my whole life is up in the air right now, But I drive about 25,000 miles a year. I work in Atlanta.

[Kelly]

Absolutely not. You're not leasing, then. Okay, we're not losing.

[Liz]

Okay. So she lives 20 miles from her office and goes in two to three times a week. I am open to a hybrid, but nothing fully electric. I need a third road. I love my Honda Pilot and could get the same thing, but kind of want. But kind of think I want something different. I was looking at the Ford Expedition, but don't know if I need that much car. I don't like super fancy tax. I'm fully happy with just Apple CarPlay. If buying, my budget would be $40,000. Any assistant is helpful. I am having to touch decision to fatigue these days.

[Kelly]

Okay. Like, she shouldn't lease because if you drive more than 15,000 miles a year, like, leasing just doesn't make sense for you. Like, you drive very high mileage. So because you're a high. She's a 25 a year, right?

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

That's a lot of miles. That's a lot of miles.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

So because of that and because of the $40,000 budget and because of the need for a third row, I'm kind of left with, like, okay, we need something that is. Because $40,000, unfortunately, just, like, doesn't get you as far as it used to get you. So we're going to have to go. We're probably going to have to find a car with mileage to get the third row, but it also needs to be a car that can handle a lot of mileage because you're gonna put them on so quickly. So I'm gonna kind of land on a car that you're probably not expecting. And it's going to be smaller than the Pilot, but it's bigger than the CX5. And I think that's a W that you should just take at the moment. And I think a Toyota Highlander.

[Liz]

Oh, that was so random.

[Kelly]

Not the Grand Highlander, because that's going to be out of budget, but just the Toyota Highlander filing for 40. It'll go for forever. It'll be reliable for you. It'll hold its value. It has. It's not like, the most functional third row and trunk space. Like, you just have the two kids, so. And I don't. I'm assuming you're not going to have any more anytime soon, so I'm locking in with that.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

That's honestly the perfect car for you.

[Liz]

Okay. All right. Is there, like, a certain year, like, wouldn't go this far? Would kind of stay within this year range. Just kind of see what you can get.

[Kelly]

I would honestly prioritize low mileage.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

So like I wouldn't be scared going back further to get lower mileage because of how high mileage of a driver you are.

[Liz]

Okay, we have one more cal.

[Kelly]

Okay.

[Liz]

Hi ladies. Love the podcast and I'm looking for some advice as we embark on the two under two journey next month. And we have to get a new car in July. Right now we have a Jeep Grand Cherokee L with captain's chairs and we like the size of it. However, my dream is to eventually go bigger. I absolutely require a bench in this next car and open to pretty much anything beyond that. I've, I've been a leaser my whole life but financially would like to buy so we have some trade in value down the road if necessary. I think our options are, I think our options are down to buying a new large mid size tester of the Pilot and Atlas. So far both fine. I still want to test drive the Traverse as well or buy a used Tahoe Expedition or Yukon. We will God willing have one to two more kids over the next, over the course of the next two to five years and we'd possibly be in a rear facing to re facing forward facing situation by 2028. What car situation do you think will be best hold its resale value and fingers crossed, stay 50k and under.

[Kelly]

Well if you have to the bench, you absolutely don't need to waste your time driving a traverse.

[Liz]

Okay, great information.

[Kelly]

Traverse is not very three across. Friendly bunches are almost impossible to find. To do three across in the midsize category it's Atlas by a mile and then behind that is the Pilot. Yeah, the Atlas is more versatile. The Alice is wider so like the Pilot works and the Pilot has the Thunder moveable middle seat. Everyone talks about it but the Atlas has a bigger bench. Like if you're doing three boosters you're in an Atlas and it's still tight but you're in an Atlas. You're not doing three boosters in the pilot. So if you're going to have three if you want to keep this thing for a long time. I don't really get what you're saying about trade in value. I think that's like not. Doesn't really make any sense to me.

[Liz]

Well I think it sounds like this might be the first car that she's buying and so she's excited to have a trade in when she. So she's just like it's that's very forefront of her mind.

[Kelly]

Okay. But she said she wants to keep it for a long time.

[Liz]

I don't think she said that she'll like keep it forever. But I'm getting vibe though. They're. They want. She talked two to five years. They want to have more kids. So.

[Kelly]

So I'm getting the vibe this is like a long term car. Under 40?

[Liz]

Under 50.

[Kelly]

Under 50. Thank you. I think the problem with one like 100, like the only to me like the bench is it's the expedition. Like, that's the, that's the full size expedition. That's the full size bench option. Just gonna be kind of a unicorn to find. Like to find under 50 and then not impossible, but like, it's just. I would. I don't want to put you on a wild goose chase, but if you can find under 50 expedition with a bench or a Tahoe, I mean a Tahoe will work. It is good for three across, I think. Definitely. I would not go extended wheelbase. I don't think you need that. How many kids they have now? One.

[Liz]

They. They're about to have two. Under two.

[Kelly]

Well, it's kind of like. And these are really hard consoles to do because like, I feel like my like three kids versus four kids, like it kind of has different answers, you know what I mean?

[Liz]

Well, and it kind of sounds to me like she said like within the next two to five years they might have three and then, you know, who knows when they're gonna have four. So it kind of feels like if you're getting a car right now, because you have to, for whatever reason, get the Atlas and then in 5 years.

[Kelly]

I agree with you.

[Liz]

You can revisit where you're at.

[Kelly]

I agree with you. Let's lock in with that.

[Liz]

Okay. Locked.

[Kelly]

Locked. That was so fun. Such different answers. So what did we have?

[Liz]

We had the Highlander Triver or Highlander Atlas and

[Kelly]

Pilot.

[Liz]

Pilot.

[Kelly]

It's all different. That's so fun.

[Liz]

And that's why there's no best family car, because everyone is so different.

[Kelly]

If there was, I'd be out of work.

[Liz]

Classic.

[Kelly]

Okay, guys, well, I believe we just have to wrap this up with little DTD and then we're done.

[Liz]

Yeah, sure.

[Kelly]

Well, now it's time for just the drive thru. We give you an easy dinner recipe to mix it up to get you out of your dinner rep. So I have a new hyper fixation meal that I've been dying to share on the podcast.

[Liz]

Oh, yeah, shoot, guys, she will not. And I'm so Excited to hear about it again.

[Kelly]

That is the hard part about doing a podcast with somebody I talk to every day. It's like we literally do just hear the same stories over and over and over.

[Liz]

We just have to have the same conversations. And sometimes when you hear it the first time, you have the best reaction. But I, I don't think I gave you a great react. I did give you a good reaction the first time. I'll try and recreate it well.

[Kelly]

And Instagram also gave me a good reaction. So I think, like, everyone's been waiting for me to dive into this hyper fixation meal more because I don't know if I've mentioned, but I'm on a sugar free journey and it's been a really hard week for that journey because I'm craving. My cravings are like through the roof. And I'm probably just not. I'm having that sensation when like, I'm having trouble getting full no matter how much I'm eating.

[Liz]

You know, same.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But like, I'm not pregnant, so that's just like, not the most fun anyway though. So I wanted to do like an Asian inspired salad. So I've really been into air frying chicken. Like, I cannot believe I haven't just been doing this for years.

[Liz]

I can't believe I haven't been. I like, don't think I've ever air fried like raw chicken.

[Kelly]

Elizabeth. I can't believe I've been wasting my time over a hot stove to make chicken. Really, it's disgusting that I've been wasting my time. So what I do is I chop up a breast into like cubes and then I put it in my air fryer. I like an air fryer liner because I'm just like looking for easy cleanup. And I spray it with some avocado oil and I add paprika and garlic salt. Now I don't actually know what paprika tastes like, but. But it's good for the color.

[Liz]

Oh no. Paprika has a good taste.

[Kelly]

Sure.

[Liz]

But what it tastes like, even if

[Kelly]

it didn't like, it adds the color that, that you're looking for. So it's not just like white white. Because that's not as appetizing.

[Liz]

No.

[Kelly]

So I don't skimp on the paprika. So I do paprika and garlic salt and I put in the Air Fryer 385 for 10 minutes. It comes like it's perfectly cooked every time. And then you just have these chicken bites that could literally go in and on anything.

[Liz]

I'M like, I'm hearing you and I know you did it and you live to tell the tale because you're here right now. But like cooking raw chicken in my air fryer, I don't know if that's something I can do.

[Kelly]

But people are doing this. People are cooking fish in their air fryer.

[Liz]

Like, and you know what, I can cook a salmon in my air fryer. But like for some chicken, people are weird about chicken.

[Kelly]

Myself included. Myself included. Yeah, it's changed my whole trajectory. Like now I, when I use my chicken from the store, I'd be like, oh, what am I going to turn this into? It's like I'm gonna turn into chicken bites. Cuz they're delicious. The kids just dip them in ketchup. So I made my chicken bites and I'm like, I want to do a salad. And I had bought at the store like coleslaw mix, which is basically just cabbage. It's like just plain coleslaw mix. But I like the crunch of the coleslaw mix and it's very low calorie, very high volume. So like it's good for someone who's like trying to, I'm trying to eat a lot and it's not like too high in calorie. So do a cup and a half of the coleslaw mix. I add my air fried chicken. Something I really enjoyed on my sugar free journey has been herbs because they're like sugar free but they pack so much flavor. They're also again so low calorie. So then I chop up cilantro, like a ton of cilantro, throw it in my coleslaw mix, squeeze a lime on top. So good. Cut up a cucumber. Then after my chicken was cooking, I went back to my air fryer and we had some leftover cooked rice in our fridge. I just put a thin layer of that cooked rice, slammed it down. I mean things were touching, so it was a layer. Sprayed it with avocado oil again, added the paprika for color, put it in the air fryer till I had made had crispy rice.

[Liz]

You use air fryer liners, which I think is an important note because no,

[Kelly]

like I can't say that enough. This is made possible by air fryer liners.

[Liz]

Okay. I don't know if you already said that.

[Kelly]

And like I did say that. Oh, sorry. But that has been such a difference. So then I pulled out the crispy rice, added it to my salad for a little crunch, for a little carb, just like yummy. Then Aldi was selling this. First of all, I say Aldi's, and I'm getting roasted for it.

[Liz]

I've noticed you've started to correct yourself, and you've been saying Aldi.

[Kelly]

Everyone around us says Aldi's.

[Liz]

It's Aldi's.

[Kelly]

It's Aldi. Aldi's is a better name.

[Liz]

We're going to Aldi's. No, it doesn't. It doesn't. It doesn't end right. Aldi.

[Kelly]

End in a vowel. Fine.

[Liz]

I'm gonna tell me about ending in a vowel. I'm not about it.

[Kelly]

I'm gonna go back to Aldi's, because that's what we call it. And I think our Cuban western twang is part of our likability.

[Liz]

Sure.

[Kelly]

So then, anyway, at Aldi's, they had this ginger dressing that kind of tastes like the one that you get, like, when. You know, when you go to, like, a. Like a hibachi. Sure. Not as good, but it has no sugar, so I added that to the top. And then I added just a little bit of soy sauce too. And then I added a scoop of natural peanut butter, because I was trying to, like, emulate, like, a peanut sauce. Mix it all together. Best salad ever.

[Liz]

You added a lot.

[Kelly]

I did add a lot. Hopefully you guys are keeping it, but, like, best salad ever. Now, last night, yesterday, I had it without the crispy rice, and it was still great.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Elizabeth]

So that.

[Kelly]

That, you know, that saves you 10 minutes in the air fryer if you need to get on the table quicker. But, yeah, it was unbelievable. No notes.

[Liz]

Sounds really good. Sounds like something that, like, I want you to make me. Like, I don't really want to go through the hullabaloo of making it.

[Kelly]

Totally.

[Liz]

But, like, I would love to have it presented in front of me.

[Kelly]

I know. I would, too. But I will do that for you.

[Liz]

Thank you.

[Kelly]

And then, like, for the kids, like, then they just had chicken bites, cucumbers, and rice.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Like, I love when I could just deconstruct a meal.

[Liz]

Yeah, that's great.

[Kelly]

Like, make something fab for me and Tyler. Me and Tyler, like, you know, kind of appreciates it. And then the kids can just have a deconstructed version.

[Liz]

Sounds great. It sounds. It sounds absolutely delicious. So impressed you put all of those things together.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you.

[Kelly]

I was, too. Dinner tonight. All your girls got is two tubes of ground beef that I don't exactly know what to do with yet.

[Liz]

You know what I love to do with ground beef?

[Kelly]

Tell me.

[Liz]

Big Bang. You'll have to go get the extra ingredients. But a crunch wrap.

[Kelly]

You're always talking about crunch wraps.

[Liz]

I know. Well, they're. I make them a lot because it's like, it is my version.

[Kelly]

Are you saying you literally buy a tostada and put it in a quesadilla and fold it up?

[Liz]

Here's how I make it. Because you're really simplifying the art. I take my. Make my ground beef. It's like, it's as easy as making tacos, but packs a much bigger punch. My husband is always so impressed with me, which is always a good feeling. And it's. It is the only fast food food that I can genuinely remake at home flawlessly.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Okay. You're gonna make your ground beef. You're gonna get a, like, extra large burrito sized tortilla. You're going.

[Elizabeth]

You.

[Liz]

You're going to lay. The first layer is going to have queso. So put. Put queso on your tortilla just like in a little circle. Then you're going to top it with ground beef. Then you're going to take your tostada and you're going to put it on top. Sour cream, lettuce, tomato, whatever you want. Fold up the sides, throw them on the. On a skillet to get toasted up. Delicious. Insane. 10 out of 10. Everyone loves it.

[Kelly]

It does sound good. I honestly might just like, I might. I just am kind of craving Taco Bell.

[Liz]

No, I know. But like, you could just make this. It is. And I, I get the jarred Taco Bell hot sauce too. So I think that helps me, like, recreate the perfect Taco Bell. Totally. It is insane.

[Kelly]

Yeah. I'm starving now. Thanks for that.

[Liz]

Yeah, you're welcome. And if you have the toast, like, if you always have those tortillas which, like, I always have tortillas. Now I just have the large ones and I. And the tostadas stay fine for, like, ever. Yeah, they're just like having chips. You could even do it with a. With no chips.

[Kelly]

Probably tostadas many moons ago. Probably a fortnight ago. And then we were out of tortilla chips one day, so then I just had to break.

[Elizabeth]

Yeah. And that too.

[Liz]

Yeah. You can use a tostada. I've used tostada as chips before, but

[Kelly]

now I'm out of tostadas, so I never use them for the. For their toast. Out of destiny.

[Liz]

That's why you just, like, need to have crunch wraps on the menu. Have you ever made them before?

[Kelly]

No.

[Liz]

Kelly, it'll change your life.

[Kelly]

Just Trust me, I do need a W in the kitchen. And I kind of feel bad because, like, my husband. Because my husband didn't enjoy the salad, and, like, he kind of has been scrounging lately.

[Liz]

You know, Maddie has told me it's my favorite thing that I make.

[Kelly]

Okay, maybe I'll give it a go. Just like, I need to get a lot of specialty ingredients before 5pm yeah, you do.

[Liz]

You need. You probably need to get going then. Yeah.

[Kelly]

So anyways, that's gonna be our episode. Thank you so much for listening to the Carvel podcast. We hope you have a fab Dabolis weekend. And we will be back on Wednesday with much to recap. I should have my dollhouse in by then. And what else do you need?

[Liz]

You will have dinner with the priests.

[Kelly]

I will have had dinner with the priests.

[Liz]

I will have had Indiana Jones butter St. John for over a week. We're so three under three.

[Kelly]

Three under three.

[Liz]

I do it all. All right.

[Kelly]

I love saying. I don't know why it's like, such a. Like a badge of honor. Four and five years. Like, when I can't say that any. Well, I guess I can always say that because I did do that. But I love saying, like, four, six, and under right now.

[Liz]

Yeah. At what point is it just like, okay, so you have four kids.

[Kelly]

Well, I don't even think four, seven, and under. And that I. So I have a month left of that. 4, 7 and under doesn't have the same punch to it.

[Liz]

No. Yeah, it's a little bit. A bit of a mouthful.

[Kelly]

So I think this is my last year much. Yeah, this is my last year.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Summer.

[Liz]

All right, well, thanks so much for listening to the Carpool podcast. We'll talk to you next time.

[Kelly]

See ya. Thank you for listening to the Carpool Podcast with Kelly and Liz. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed riding with us, tell everybody you know, there's room in the car for everyone.