Podcast Summary: The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz

Episode: Revealing the Top 4 Finalists for Car of the Year
Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Kelly Stumpe & Lizz St. John
Theme: Announcing and discussing the four finalists for The Car Mom’s 2025 Car of the Year award plus relatable mom-life chatter, shopping, home, and family milestones.

Episode Overview

This episode of The Carpool is packed with the signature friendly banter between automotive experts (and sisters!) Kelly and Lizz, who balance lighthearted family talk with auto-industry insights. The centerpiece is the much-anticipated reveal of the four finalists for The Car Mom’s 2025 Car of the Year. The rest of the episode weaves through relatable mom-life routines, shopping stories, home improvement plans, and meal hacks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real-Life Mom Banter & Routines

• New Year, New Routines: Both hosts discuss the sense of renewal in January—the allure of routines, putting on real pants, and the psychological boost of getting dressed even as work-from-home moms.
• Clothing Purgatory: Kelly introduces a “clothing purgatory” bin for items she doesn’t want to wear but isn’t ready to fully give away. Lizz reminisces about the ruthless postpartum closet purge Kelly once instigated.
  • Quote (Kelly, 03:15): "I've been living in a world of definites in terms of my clothing. It's either like, keep it or get rid of it... So I'm just gonna...if I try something on and I'm like, oh, I don't want to wear this, I'm putting it in a bin.”

2. Parenting Milestones & Preschool Stress

• Preschool Tour Anxiety: Lizz shares her emotional experience touring a preschool for her 2.5-year-old.
  • Quote (Lizz, 09:03): "Who granted me permission to like, teach a kid how to recognize his name or like, learn his letters and numbers and shapes?…I'm not a teacher."
• Kindergarten Readiness Reality Check: Kelly reassures Lizz, highlighting the over-hype around "kindergarten readiness"—that kids naturally grow into milestones and "the most important thing is being a present mother."
  • Quote (Kelly, 11:17): “I think the most important things you can do is be a present mother. And I think the chips will fall where they may... But no, I would not get out a flashcard at age 3.”

3. Last Three Transactions – Recent Purchases & Home Life

Each host details their last three purchases, sparking stories about marriage, technology, birthdays, memories, and even underwear.

Kelly’s Purchases:

• The $100 Butter Dish (16:31): An upgrade (after her husband broke the old one) becomes an emblem of healthy marital “friction” and the importance of being “right.”
  • Quote (Kelly, 16:31): "So to get him back, I first, I have a running list on my phone titled things Tyler broke…And then I bought the Mackenzie towels. Blue check butter dish."
• Mariposa Birthday Number Candle Holders (20:03): Sentimental, reusable silver holders for marking birthdays; talk of family keepsakes and eventual sibling “fights” over meaningful home goods.
• Trader Joe’s Haul (29:38): First trip in six months: Kelly feels underwhelmed and overwhelmed—"uninspired" by the abundance of specialty items versus basic ingredients.

Lizz’s Purchases:

• Wi-Fi Extender (18:30): Solved her podcast connectivity woes.
• Victoria’s Secret Underwear (25:32): Sparks a trip down memory lane on the VS brand’s “fall from grace”—marketing, the iconic store experience, and generational nostalgia about the brand.
  • Quote (Lizz, 27:26): "Can you imagine the chokehold they had on us? They had us for loungewear, they had us for underwear, they had us for beauty products…"
• Kaden Lane Pajamas for James (32:02): Discusses lingering love for snug “little kid” pajamas, grappling with when kids outgrow them.

Notable Segments:

• Family Heirlooms & Home Decor (24:43, 34:10): Both touch on what household items they might someday “pass down,” from holiday decorations to cookie jars.
• Decor Disagreements: Kelly shares gripes about her husband’s reluctance to hang anything on the walls after home renovations, and her solution—posting vision boards as placeholders and conversation starters.
  • Quote (Kelly, 36:01): "I'm just going to print [vision boards] out and hang them on the walls because I want my guests to know, like, this is not what I want it to look like."

4. Auto Industry News: CAR OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

(36:55–40:14)
The main event! Kelly reveals the four finalists for Car Mom Car of the Year 2025. Criteria required redesigned vehicles available for the ‘25 model year. Finalists were shortlisted for design and family functionality improvements.

Top 4 Finalists (38:17):

1. Nissan Armada
2. Honda Passport
3. Ford Expedition
4. Hyundai Palisade

• Judging Criteria: How well each redesign served families, which updates made real improvements, and consideration of tech, aesthetics, and family appeal.

  • Quote (Liz, 38:36): "Who got redesigned in a stunning way and in a family functionality way? Who made changes that were worth making?"

• Listener Action:
  View the full car tours on The Car Mom’s channels and VOTE for your favorite. Host confirm that manufacturers pay attention—Chevy notably celebrated last year’s Traverse win across marketing.

• Past Winners:

  • 2023: Volkswagen Atlas
  • 2024: Chevy Traverse

5. Ditch the Drive-Thru: Easy Family Dinners

• Homemade Pizza Night (41:21): Kelly describes her routine with store-bought pizza dough—faster than making from scratch but fresher than frozen.
  • Quote (Kelly, 42:08): “I added a little hot honey because I'm a lady and it was delicious.”
• Meal Planning Real Talk: Both hosts admit most nights are “must-go” (using what’s left), with Kelly feeling maxed out after already accomplishing self-care and workouts.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Husbands Having Opinions about Home Decor (34:10):

  • Lizz: "That's the worst thing a man can have an opinion on."
  • Kelly: "It is. It is so annoying. Like, the amount of opinions coming out of that man's mouth, like, it's simply—oh my gosh."

• Victoria’s Secret Era Reminiscing (27:26):

  • Lizz: "[They] had us for those little pink dogs, they had us for those pins. You would get a coupon in the mail for a free underwear. Do you remember those days?"

• Kelly’s Recipe for Maintaining Marital Balance (16:31):

  • "And I get that a marriage is like, it's not 50%. It's both people giving 100, but it is about who's right and who's wrong sometimes. And he's wrong."

Important Timestamps

• Clothing Purge & Purgatory: 03:15–06:28
• Preschool Tour & Readiness Debate: 09:03–12:30
• Butter Dish Mishap & Marital Dynamics: 14:34–17:21
• Victoria’s Secret Nostalgia: 25:32–28:57
• Home Heirloom Conversation: 24:43, 34:10–36:45
• Car of the Year Finalists Revealed: 36:55–40:14
• Homemade Pizza “Ditch the Drive-Thru”: 41:21–42:39

Summary Table – Car of the Year Finalists

| Finalist | Key Upgrades & Considerations | |---------------------|------------------------------------| | Nissan Armada | Redesign for families, tech appeal | | Honda Passport | Improved family comfort, tech | | Ford Expedition | Standout utility & updates | | Hyundai Palisade | Interior, design, and tech refresh |

Call to Action

• Vote for Car of the Year: Watch the vehicle tours and vote for your favorite—links in Car Mom’s show notes and Instagram.
• Send in Recipes: Listeners are encouraged to submit “ditch the drive-thru” meal ideas.

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode is casual, witty, and deeply relatable for millennial moms balancing family life and a love for cars. Even the “serious” subject of auto-industry awards is delivered with humor and inclusivity (“there’s room in the car for everyone”). The hosts’ automotive expertise shines in the finalist discussion, while everyday topics like shopping, marriage dynamics, and preschool stress make this a go-to listen for car-curious moms.

For those who missed the episode:
You’ll get laughs, real mom insight, and practical car info—plus, vote for the trending family vehicle of 2025!