Spreading The Good Stuff Podcast

In this final episode for 2023 we are sharing our Best & Worst for the year that was, and also three things we would recommend (Christy may have snuck in five - LOL!). This conversation is filled with books, podcasts and magical potions (if local honey counts) to help you smash the rest of 2023 out of the park and welcome in 2024 with open arms!

We also share what we can’t wait to do over the Christmas break and take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for listening to Spreading the Good Stuff podcast this year.

In this episode we discuss how to best prep for the Silly Season ahead, which is coming at us fast!

We each share how we approach this time of year, when things get hectic, and what we try do to remain calm and present - most of the time!

In this episode we are back after a delightful month off to chat about everything from alone time, social media detoxing and the perils of peri-menopause.

Christy chats about her 'alone' retreat, Leonie discusses the benefits and challenges of a longterm break from all social media and Katrina shares experiences of 'change', growth and unravelling through significant chapters in her life, including peri-menopause. We discuss hormone support and how important to get a second opinion on what you are experiencing and to seek out a women's health specialist, which is not always easy. We only briefly touch on this as it's a subject we plan to dedicate a whole episode to in the coming months - can't wait for this!

Thanks again for joining us on Spreading the Good Stuff.

In episode 73 we briefly recap our last episode, where discussed chasing your dreams and we share the importance of support and the perils of not having it. Are you good at asking for help in your daily life? And, do you feel like a burden if you're receiving help from family or friends. We were reminded by the lovely saying, thanks to Katrina, that 'you can only give as much as you are prepared to receive' - food for thought!

We also discuss the art of saying saying no to things, which is another area of challenge for many. It's a tricky situation for many when we feel obligated to do the things we need to do for family, children, community, etc, and one worth unpacking.

Thanks again for joining us on Spreading the Good Stuff.

We're back spreading the good stuff with a conversation about 'chasing your dreams' and of course, we can't not talk about the amazing Matildas!

Right off the bat, it was hard to contain how totally pumped we were, along with the rest of the country, about the incredible journey that our national women's soccer team has been on during the FIFA Womens World Cup. We recorded this episode the morning after our heartbreaking loss to England (who were unfortunately the better team on the night) and it was great to reflect on the far-reaching impact the Matilda's journey has had, and will continue to have, into the future. Who said you can't commercialise women's sport?

This conversation also covers a lovely listener request - thank you to Jamie - about how to chase your dreams while caring for little people. We each share how we managed (and continue to manage) to keep our dreams alive while in the trenches with young children or tending to teenagers. Being kind to yourself, not comparing yourself to others, being patient and staying focussed on not letting go of your dreams by just doing little things along the way, were all tips we shared.

Thanks again for joining us on Spreading the Good Stuff.

In this episode of Spreading the Good Stuff we talk about social media. What we love, what we hate, and about the very slim chance that one day it might just all disappear! We share the benefits and the pitfalls and how we 'try' and keep a handle on how much we let it creep in and take over our lives.

We talk about the new kid on the block Threads, the loveliness of Substack and Instagram and the importance of email. Do we really need more platforms? Since we recorded this episode, Twitter has evolved into X, which many believe will only hasten its demise. Recent headlines have claimed that social media is dead or slowing dying, but why is everyone still on it and using it for all forms of communication, including important life announcements.

Thanks again for joining us on Spreading the Good Stuff.

In our 69th episode we ask if women are ignored by society once they turn 50? It's an issue that keeps popping up and has us asking all sorts of questions about what's expected of us, should be get botox, cover our grey hair or if we are still as relevant as we age?

It's a curious topic and one worth exploring for all women and touches on comfort zones, playing small and how we could all do better to embrace ourselves - as individuals and as a society - as we age.

In this episode we talk about the Sandwich Generation and also the problems with getting angry when we don’t agree with others.

It’s an interesting conversation and one that brings up a general theme of being kind to yourself and others as we navigate the different seasons in our life. We dive deep into the the challenge of how to best respond if and when we don’t agree with others, especially loved ones and online!

As always, we share what we're loving this fortnight.

Thanks again for listening to our podcast and for helping us to spread the good stuff.

In our 67th episode we talk all things comfort zone related, as well as why we think the 'fun' might have disappeared from kids sport.

Following Katrina's cameo appearance for her local netball team, she realised that many participants, including children, just weren't having fun anymore.

We discuss why, possible reason's for our overly-competitive society and how many parents could perhaps care a little less when it comes to their children's sport.

In our 66th episode, we talk about the challenge of finding balance. What does it look like, or does it even exist!

In this insightful chat, we talk about recalibration, as opposed to the never-ending search to find 'balance' and we share lots of good stuff about how to check in and make time in a busy life to take care of the little things that, in the long run, take care of the bigger things!

We also talk about how courage and bravery is what is needed now, for us all to open up when we feel out of balance and have some big, important conversations with work colleagues, friends and loved ones.

In this conversation we talk about friendships and what happens when they shift, for whatever reason.

Specifically female friendships, the importance of them and what to do when they sometimes breakdown. How to nurture them in the different seasons of life and how best to look after each other and ourselves through the journey of friendship. Leonie talks about a friendship model from her mother, while Katrina shares a friendship that broke down and the emotions involved, and Christy shares a helpful meditation to support a challenging relationship.

This is a conversation that doesn't happen enough and there are no easy answers to a challenging friendship, however we are so glad to be able to share the highs and lows with each other and of course you, our audience.

In this episode we tackle the subject of cultural change and how to approach it.

We take a deep dive into the the issue of volunteer roles for women, and how even in today's much more progressive society, they can still be highly gendered.

Does it matter? Why should we care? And how can we make change for the better?

We also talk about all the things we are loving, including podcasts, Small Hall Festivals, the fabulous autumn weather (which only two out of three of us are loving) making sauce and relish with the neighbours and how Katrina is all fired about making a difference in the farming community - stay tuned for big things in this space!

This is a big, juicy and heart-filled episode and we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode - Dealing with Criticism - we unpack the challenges around freedom of speech and hate speech, and how it has shown up in the wider community and locally for our Spreading the Good Stuff team.

We share our thoughts on how to deal with criticism, including some excellent words and sage advice from some of our favourite podcasters, and we also share what we're loving - from autumn gardening, to our favourite TV shows and the genuine love and support from community.

In episode 62 of Spreading the Good Stuff we discuss the success and challenges of International Women’s Day (IWD), which was held in early March, and chew through what it means and what it should represent. It’s an interesting conversation, that has parallels with other struggles for equality and equity. Katrina shares details from a local IWD she hosted and loved peeling back the layers to find out what is really happening behind the scenes (and the Instagram posts) of the women we admire. Leonie took comfort in this insight and shares her feelings about overwhelm, creating the all-important wriggle room we need in our lives, and asking for help. Christy talks about her frustrations with real equality for women, how she is feeling sore, but good, after almost four weeks of her Yoga Teacher Training and is hoping for a bath at some stage this week! We want to thank all our lovely listeners for tuning in, and there’s a special shout-out by Lee in this chat to one of our male listeners who recently shared some very special feedback.