The Big Boo Cast

In this week's episode we talk about the return of summertime heat to San Antonio (you can easily imagine Melanie's joy) as well as our shared delight at a recent GMA Deal of the Day. We also discuss the latest developments in our television-watching careers, and we may spend a significant amount of time recapping the first episode of the new season of The Real Housewives of New York. All I'm saying is that it brought us some happiness. And if that weren't enough (well, I mean, it really wasn't enough, but just go with me on the figure of speech), we provide updates on the current state of our pandemic hair - along with some possible solutions because ROOTS. Hope y'all enjoy! Show Notes: - Melanie's (potential) Amazon pool - Susie Davis - Sunday Riley Good Genes - Sunday Riley Vitamin C Serum - The Hunters on Amazon - Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu - The Real Housewives of New York - The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills - Kristin Ess hair gloss - Bumble + Bumble hair powder - Patreon episode with Caroline and Alex - Sophie's folding chair - Melanie's Taylor Wolfe sweatshirt Sponsors: - The Relief Products (use promo code BIGBOO at checkout for 50% off your order) - OpenFit (text BigBoo to 505050 for 14-day trial) - Scentbird (use promo code BIGBOO for 30% off your first order)

By the time this episode releases, most of us will have been affected / impacted / sidelined / challenged by the quarantine for a full month. If you're in other parts of the world, it may have been longer for you. So given the fact that we have now been wearing (mostly) pajamas and workout clothes for the better part of thirty days, Melanie and I thought we would discuss one of our favorite topics: items that bring us comfort. And let me just assure you: a couple of Enneagram 9s know about some comfort. The pursuit of comfort is one of our spiritual gifts. :-)  All that to say: the show notes are really long because clearly we have been figuring out how to be really comfortable. But we hope you enjoy, and we hope you're well - and for those of you on the front lines of this particular battle, know that we are deeply grateful. Take care, everybody! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Floofy coffee - Jo Malone Shower Gel - Lime, Basil & Mandarin (I bought it on sale; couldn't find anywhere it's currently on sale) - Essential oils - Hummingbird Farms Lavender Hand Soap - Hummingbird Farms Lavender Citrus Heavy Cream - Hummingbird Farms Lavender Body Oil - Hummingbird Farms Essential Lavender Oil - Tan Luxe The Butter lotion - Things I Bought and Liked on Instagram - "Use Tootie!" - Brooks Greenlight Capri tights (I LOVE THEM SO MUCH - and I buy them on sale) - Brooks Adrenaline running shoes (and last year's Adrenalines on sale) - Adidas Ultra Boost - Publix croissant bread - Julian's Pretzel Bread - Palmetto Pimento Cheese with Jalapeños - My Three Sons Spicy Pimento Cheese - Sophie's favorite Wusthof knife - The best carrot cake recipe ever - Gran Jan's chocolate cobbler - Melanie's Country Classic Spotify Playlist - Sophie's Great Big Praise Playlist on Spotify - Sophie's Great Big Praise Playlist on Apple Music - Jonathan McReynolds' Make More Room (Live) - Leslie Jordan's Instagram - HomeTop Memory Foam Houseslippers - Kathleen Jennings Beauty on Instagram - The Ordinary Peeling Solution Sponsors: - YogaSleep (promo code BIGBOO for 20% off) - Magic Spoon (promo code BIGBOO for free shipping) - The Relief Products (promo code BIGBOO for 50% off your order; offer expires June 1st)

As you might imagine, life has been a mile a minute during the past week of Pandemic '20. We've been to the grocery store, we've been to the drugstore, and we have even cooked some meals. There's just so much to share! Thankfully, though, a slower pace doesn't stop us from being fascinated with the most inconsequential things. That's why this week we have a lot of thoughts about what shows to watch, we have a lot of thoughts about what it's like at grocery stores these days, and we (well, I) have a lot of thoughts about the finest sports bra I have ever owned.  Also. Right after I edited this episode it dawned on me that there was an important pop culture development we neglected to discuss, so we called on our friend Erin Moon and broke that thing right on down. That's why you'll find about 15-ish minutes of extra content at the end of the regular episode. Now isn't that more fun? Just more fun! Hope y'all enjoy! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Inside the Story of How H-E-B Planned for the Pandemic - Unorthodox - Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor - Sherlock - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee - Veronica Mars - Cheer - The Good Place - Mad Men - The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show - Friday Night Lights - The Mindy Project - Four Weddings and a Funeral - Little Fires Everywhere - Dead to Me - Schitt's Creek - Jane the Virgin - Hart of Dixie - The Newsroom - Succession - The Handmaid's Tale - The Office - 30 Rock - Elomi Energise Sports Bra  - oaskys King Mattress Pad Cover Cooling Mattress Topper - 600-Thread-Count Pure White King Size Sateen Sheets - Kirkland Signature 680 Thread Count Sheet Set - John Krasinski with the cast of Hamilton on Some Good News - Our beloved friend (and favorite Hamilton expert) Erin Moon - Erin does great work with our friends Knox and Jamie at The Popcast Sponsor: - Pine Cove (use code BIGBOO250 for $250 off a first-time registration for overnight camp)

WELCOME TO APRIL, EVERYONE! Oh, y'all. It was a March, wasn't it? So first and foremost I just want to say that Melanie and I hope you're well and the people you love are well. It may take us a little while to get to the other side of this thing, but I believe we're all gonna love each other well and get through it. So hang in there. On this episode we talk about what we've been doing during this past week of social distancing, and we also talk to one of our very favorite Twitter follows, Karen Howell. Here's what you need to know about Karen: she is hilarious. Also, she and I grew up in Mississippi towns that are a couple of hours apart, so our accents are really similar, and I got super tickled when I was editing because I'll tell you what does not fade as you get older: a Mississippi accent. :-)  Anyway, we hope this episode makes you laugh, and by the way, HANG IN THERE, all you mamas who are handling remote learning for your kids (and all you mamas who have been teaching your kids for years). We're cheering you on! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Gen X was made for this moment in time - Karen Howell on Twitter - Ozark - Tiger King (just FYI - it's hard to watch - I got to episode three and had to take a breather - and it's definitely not for kids) - Little Fires Everywhere - Hometown - Making the Cut - On the Bright Side - Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor - Leanne Morgan is hilarious - Ben Rector's cover songs - Bethany Bordeaux's violin concerts - 30 Rock Sponsors:  - Magic Spoon (promo code BIGBOO for free shipping) - YogaSleep (use this link for 20% off) - OpenFit (text BigBoo to 505050 for a 14-day free trial)

We weren't planning to record an episode this week, but then we (the Hudsons) cancelled our Spring Break trip, and the country pretty much shut down, and suddenly that empty podcast calendar looked like a bit of an opportunity. SO. On this week's episode Melanie and I are so happy to get to talk to our great friend Travis Cottrell, also known as FryDaddy here on the podcast. Travis is a worship leader, a gifted singer and songwriter, and the brother Melanie and I didn't even know we were missing until around 2007. He also happens to be one of the funniest people we know.  It won't be a surprise to listen and realize that our conversation is all over the place, but the up side of that is that we cover a lot of ground. We discuss what we're cooking during the quarantine, share our favorite snacks (salty and sweet), and ponder whether or not we should be trying on our jeans every couple of days to make sure they still fit. We also talk about how we became friends and whether the three of us have ever thought about doing a live show together (short answer: yes ma'am). :-)  Hope y'all enjoy! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - White Bean, Orzo, and Spinach soup (Melanie added Italian sausage to the recipe) - French Onion Beef Sliders for a Crowd - Inside Studio G with Garth and Trisha (this is just a clip - the whole video isn't up any more) - The Road I'm On - the best TV of 2020 - Garth's first Facebook video - Matthew McConaughey Coronavirus video - Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show from home - Travis' most recent album, Spirit Rise - Melanie's most recent book, On the Bright Side - Isaiah 42:16 - Psalm 46 - Coram Deo (1992) - Isaiah 43:19 - Homemade Kettle Corn - The SNL sketch that was instant bonding for Travis and me - Our Amazon Shop

Melanie and I are always thrilled when we get to have a guest on the podcast, and it's an extra thrill when that guest is Beth Moore, who just so happens to be one of our heroes. As most of you know, Beth is a writer, a ministry leader, and a straight-up Twitter prophetess. She's also wife to Keith, mom to Melissa and Amanda, and Bibby to her beloved grandchildren. Melanie and I are honored to call her a friend and consider her the Bible teacher of our lives.  In this episode we talk about Beth's new book, Chasing Vines, and even though I'm way out of practice, I do my best to represent English teachers everywhere and ask a couple of essay questions. :-) We also discuss the wonders of outside, Beth's best skincare tips (I totally pictured Mel taking notes as fast as that GIF of a cat typing), and the pros of getting older.  We recorded this episode last week before we knew how drastically COVID-19 was about to change "normal life" as many of us have known it. It occurred to me when I was editing this episode that the Lord's timing is kind - because Beth provides so much wisdom and encouragement and joy in this episode. We don't know about y'all, but we could use an extra dose of all of the above right now, and we're so grateful to Beth for providing it. Hope y'all enjoy! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Beth Moore - Beth's must-read Twitter feed - Chasing Vines - Breaking Free - Video sessions for Breaking Free - The picture Beth mentions in our discussion about trellises and the Cross - Chicken & Dressing - On the Bright Side - Juice Plus - A Night with Beth Moore (this was Tuesday, March 17th in Houston, and several people have told me that Beth's message is amazing and I have to watch - so I am planning to do that tonight!) Sponsors: - Scentbird (promo code BIGBOO for 30% off your first order) - Care/of (promo code BIGBOOCAST50 for 50% off your first order) - YogaSleep (use this link for 20% off)

I am delighted to tell you that I remembered to plug in my microphone for this episode, so that's a win right out of the gate, isn't it? And thanks to all of our crystal-clear sound, you'll hear us talk about my recent trip to Americus, Georgia, Melanie's recent trip to College Station, and the exciting new make-up that I bought last week. We'll also update you on our respective families' Coronavirus prep (Shankles - headed for the pandemic prep championship; Hudsons - did not qualify as we have not so much as purchased an extra roll of toilet paper), and we'll check on Melanie's post-book release haze. Oh! And Melanie's On the Bright Side is in Target stores now, so go find it and take a picture with it and buy copies for all your friends. Not that we're the boss of you. :-)  Hope y'all enjoy! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Milani Most Loved Mattes eyeshadow palette - Thrive Causemetics lip liner (in Ghizlan), lipstick (in Emii), blush, and mascara (use promo code BIGBOO for 15% off your first purchase) - Maybelline Ink Crayon lipstick - NuFACE - Melanie foretells the Mike Leach hire in September - MONTHS ahead of time (go to 47:23 in the episode) - Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein - R. Eric Thomas' tweet about Meghan Markle - photo of Meghan and Harry - On the Bright Side is at Target! (TARGET!!!) - Annie B. Jones at The Bookshelf - Most Likely by Sarah Watson - Sophie's March Playlist for Apple Music - Sophie's March Playlist for Spotify Sponsor: - YogaSleep (use this link for 20% off)

You may not have known it before now, but what you will realize after about fifteen minutes of this episode is that apparently it is Festivus, and Melanie and I have kicked it off with our annual Airing of the Grievances. From her missing book foreword to my feelings about an unexpected credit card charge to Mel's preferred schedule for visits from the exterminator, we spend some time and also energy voicing our frustrations.  Also, there's a whole running discussion about the coronavirus. I remain fascinated by the information Melanie shares with all of us. Finally, we have a lively discussion about sunglasses, and I even try to do a little shopping as we visit. Basically we're just one step removed from our very first podcast episode when we read InStyle magazine together. Seems like old times, etc. Hope y'all enjoy! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Our Amazon store - Melanie's missing On the Bright Side foreword, written oh-so-beautifully by Jen Hatmaker - The Invisible Man - Elta MD sunscreen - Living Proof Dry Volume Blast - Quay Stop & Stare sunglasses - Kathleen Jennings' Instagram - Quay Gold Dust sunglasses Sponsors: - Pine Cove (use the link for $250 off any first time, overnight camp registration - Magic Spoon (use promo code BIGBOO for free shipping)

A few episodes ago I mentioned how much I had loved watching Garth Brooks' "The Road I'm On," and this past week Melanie watched it. I wouldn't say that we discuss it exhaustively in this episode, but we definitely circle back around to it a few times. That is because WE ADORE IT. We also talk about Melanie's new books (it's book launch week!), but we recorded before we knew that the foreword by Jen Hatmaker somehow didn't make it into the actual book, so you can rest assured we'll saddle up to that topic next week.  We also talk about a couple of books I've read and loved, what we're planning to read during Lent, and a new (to me) K-cup discovery. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE. Enjoy, y'all! Become a Patron! Show Notes: - Our Amazon shop - Melanie's new books - Garth Brooks' "The Road I'm On" - Maria Taylor from ESPN - The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall - Miracles & Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - Do You Mind if I Cancel by Gary Janetti - Every Broken Thing by Erin Moon (shopping cart closes Wednesday night at midnight) - Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup from She Wears Many Hats - (related: here is my favorite wild rice) - Starbucks French Roast K-cups - Mike Leach's Twitter Sponsors: - YogaSleep (use this link for 20% off) - Glossier (use this link for 10% off your first order) - Clearly Filtered (use promo code BIGBOO for 20% off)

I am sad to tell you that Melanie's issues with chicken in general and thick chicken nuggets in particular continue, so we spend a good bit of time discussing her chicken-related options in this episode. We also talk about my family's recent trip to a show choir competition (it was glorious) as well as our excitement that college baseball is with us once again. Then, as usual, we share a little bit of what we're watching and reading, and we settle a miscommunication re: Melanie's feelings about a tote bag I've been eyeing. If I sound like I was desperate for her approval, it's because, well, I was.  I'm sure you understand. :-)  Enjoy, everybody! Become a Patron! Show Notes:  - The A&M maroon striped uniform - A&M Baseball Hype Video (Mel's people are a little after the one-minute mark) - My Dear Hamilton - To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You - McMillions on HBO - The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - Ken Burns' Country Music - Best Fiends - we are still obsessed - On the Bright Side - Melanie's new book that is out next week! - Melanie's Chicken Cakes - Ree's Twice-Baked Potatoes - Brooks Glycerin 17s on sale - Meebak Cica Cream - The Consuela bag that has Sophie smitten Sponsors: - Clearly Filtered (promo code BIGBOO for 20% off your order) - Thrive Causemetics (promo code BIGBOO for 15% off your first order) - Scentbird (promo code BIGBOO for 30% off your first month)