The Lazy Genius Podcast — Episode 449: Favorite Discoveries of 2025 Host: Kendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius)
Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this celebratory year-end episode, Kendra Adachi shares her twenty favorite personal discoveries of 2025—spanning TV, food, beauty, tech, kitchen essentials, routines, family moments, and more. True to the Lazy Genius spirit, her lineup includes items and ideas that make everyday living easier, cozier, or more joyful. Kendra wraps up with a highlight of small businesses to support, features a heartwarming listener connection ritual, and ends with a motivational pep talk for those struggling to slow down, especially in busy seasons.

Key Discussion Points and Discoveries

1. The Diplomat (Netflix Series)

Timestamp: 06:30

• Kendra gushes over "The Diplomat," currently in its third season.
• “I love Keri Russell like, a ridiculous amount. She’s so good in the show as the new U.S. ambassador to England.”
• Describes it as: “Intrigue and treason and explosions and love triangles and it is such fun storytelling.”

2. Albanese Gummy Bears

Timestamp: 08:10

• Kendra, typically indifferent to gummy bears, is now obsessed.
• “There are maybe four foods in all the world that all five ADACHIs are obsessed with, and Albanese Gummy Bears are one of them.”
• Shares how it’s a family pleaser and a lunchbox staple.

3. The Libby Pause (Library App Feature)

Timestamp: 09:50

• She praises Libby’s option to pause a hold, keeping her place in line if not quite ready to read.
• “It is a brilliant invention for when you’re just not quite ready to borrow a book yet.”

4. Flossing Sticks & Tiny Toothbrushes

Timestamp: 10:56

• After starting Invisalign, she now keeps a pouch of dental hygiene tools everywhere.
• “They make dental hygiene habits easy. And I love it when annoying things are made easy.”

5. Bee Word Sauce & Bell Peppers

Timestamp: 18:10

• Family-favorite dipping sauce (censored for kid-friendliness), especially with bell peppers.
• “There are only two grocery stores in my city that carry it... devastating when one runs out.”
• Helps her love a veggie she otherwise dislikes.

6. Merit Beauty (Makeup Brand)

Timestamp: 20:00

• Foundation stick is her new go-to: “Better than anything I’ve ever tried.”
• Special shout-out to the mascara and blushes: “It’s made for people like me who don’t want to look super made up, but just want to look like a little more awake and bright.”

7. The Mane Ready or Not Hairbrush

Timestamp: 23:15

• Converted after trying it—so good, the family needed two.
• “It makes my hair look better than it should, like every single day.”

8. Always Getting a Flat White

Timestamp: 24:17

• Learns to stick with her go-to coffee order.
• “I keep trying other things... I am a girl who loves her flat white. Done deal. Great discovery. Keep the chai away.”

9. Cozy Earth Sheets

Timestamp: 26:00

• Best sheets she’s ever experienced—soft, warm, yet cooling.
• “A perimenopausal woman’s dream... I cannot explain how magical these sheets are.”
• Admits they’re pricey but feels the value is worth it.

10. Sleeping on Her Back for Back/Neck Pain

Timestamp: 28:02

• Side-sleeper by preference, but two nights on her back “zips me right up again.”

11. Good Hang with Amy Poehler (Podcast)

Timestamp: 29:10

• Deep admiration for Amy’s interviewing style and show structure.
• “She is such a good interviewer. It is indeed a good hang... They seem like they are more themselves on her show.”
• Favorite episode: Kate McKinnon.

12. Columbia Coats

Timestamp: 32:03

• New family coat favorite for warmth and comfort.
• “They put wizard magic into their coats... My body was never cold anywhere the coat was ever.”

13. Tiny Silverware

Timestamp: 34:50

• Loves long-handled coffee spoons and recently added tiny forks.
• “Tiny silverware was all the rage in the Adachi house in 2025.”

14. Win Proper Colander Storage Baskets

Timestamp: 36:23

• Kitchen item transforms her produce storage.
• “It has extended the life of our berries and our grapes and our lettuce. It’s amazing, genuinely.”

15. Weightlifting (Caroline Garvin on YouTube)

Timestamp: 37:25

• Discovered a new joy in short, effective dumbbell routines.
• “I can feel myself getting stronger, and I get to do it while, like, watching a show or listening to an audiobook.”

16. Quince Sling Bag

Timestamp: 39:10

• Finds the elusive comfortable, stylish, and practical bag.
• “It’s the best bag. It’s just the right size for what I need.”

17. Kids’ Kitchen Jobs

Timestamp: 40:06

• Her children each love quirky kitchen tasks (washing rice, finding bay leaves).
• “I like the idea of my tiny forks having a story but either way, tiny silverware was all the rage in the Adachi house in 2025.”

18. Dream Egg Portable Sound Machine

Timestamp: 41:10

• Compact white noise machine that’s indispensable for travel.
• “So cute, so tiny, and weirdly so powerful.”

19. R+Co Hair Products

Timestamp: 42:12

• Declares it’s the one brand she’d stick with if forced to choose.
• “Their detangler is the best I’ve ever used. It saves Annie’s hair on a weekly basis.”

20. Night Baking

Timestamp: 44:00

• Rekindles her love for baking, but at night when life is quieter.
• “I don’t even mind the dirty dishes for night baking. It’s like they don’t count the same... I just find it really soothing and life giving.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On embracing small pleasures:
  “It really is such a fun practice to notice your life and what’s making it enjoyable.” (40:00)

• On productivity guilt:
  “If you have time to clean out a closet, you have time to take a nap or read or rest or whatever it is.” (40:55)

• On slowing down:
  “Don’t use your energy to argue. Use your energy to find spaces of slow rest in your day because it matters. Don’t let that productivity culture steal your joy. They don’t get to have it, you need to keep it and enjoy your life.” (41:50)

Segment Highlights & Timestamps

[17:45] - Discoveries Continue (After Ad Break)

Kendra resumes her list with “Bee Word Sauce,” Merit Beauty, and kitchen tools.

[36:23] - Win Proper Colander Storage Baskets

Discusses life-changing produce storage.

[44:00] - The Magic of Night Baking

Reflects on returning to her love of baking after the kids are in bed.

Listener Contribution: Lazy Genius of the Week

Bethany from Texas

• Stays connected with a long-distance friend via Marco Polo and seasonal FaceTime calls to share “what’s saving my life right now” lists.
• “This is tremendous. Like just tremendous. I love the value of self alongside the valuing of the relationship.” (38:30)

Small Business Recommendations

Personal Faves:

• Essential Calendar – seasonal wall calendars
• Inkwell Threads – bookish apparel (Pride & Prejudice themed)

Community Picks:

• Enderly Coffee Company — Charlotte, NC, with fun Friday small business deliveries
• Walker Goods — family-made travel gear
• Tiny and Snail — magical greeting cards by two sisters

Mini Pep Talk: On Slowing Down

(40:55–41:50)
Kendra encourages listeners to resist productivity culture, normalize rest, and grant themselves permission to slow down—especially during overwhelming seasons.

Episode Tone and Takeaway

Kendra’s signature mix of enthusiasm, humor, and permission-giving shines throughout. The episode underscores the value in paying attention to what truly makes life better—and giving yourself grace (and the occasional flat white or tiny silverware) along the way.

Kendra’s final reminder:
“Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.”

For the complete list, links, and more discoveries, join the Lazy Genius Collective email list at thelazygeniuscollective.com/listens.