# #279: New Year Goals Recap

An episode of [A Beautiful Mess Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1485472892), 22 Dec 2025, 47 min.

Audio: https://mgln.ai/e/498/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/abmpodcast/ABM_EP279_Final.mp3?dest-id=1624655

This week we're recapping the goals we set for ourselves for 2025, what we accomplished, what we didn't and anything that we're keeping on the list for 2026. We're talking about what makes a good goal and our personal goal setting criteria. We're also sharing our weekly book report and beginning a new segment where we debate listeners hot takes at the end of every episode! The goals we set in our 2025 NY Goal episode: Emma: Get a minivan - No Ambitious food blogging list - Had to pivot in April Pitch cookbook idea - Did pitch but not working on right now Emma's romance (outline and write half) - Yes Elsie: Write every day - No Query my novel - Yes Write second novel - Started it Launch art website and sell art - Did sell art but didn't make a website One renovation to rule them all - Yes Most proud to have accomplished in 2025: Elsie - Got passports and taking first trip Emma - Finishing her novel Unforeseen project you spent a lot of time on in 2025: Elsie - Rewriting her novel Emma -Hugo Accomplishment that wasn't on the list: Elsie - Retraining for a new career Emma - Celebrated 40th Birthday Book Report: Emma - Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Elsie- The Uncool by Cameron Crowe You can support us by leaving us a couple of 5 star recipe reviews this week at abeautifulmess.com Have a topic idea for the podcast? Write in to us at podcast@abeautifulmess.com or leave us a voicemail at 417-893-0011.

## Transcript

[0:00] Emma
[0:01] You're listening to the Beautiful Mess podcast, your cozy comfort listen. And this week, we are
[0:02] recapping the goals that we set for ourselves in 2025 what we accomplished, what we didn't, and
[0:03] anything that we're keeping on the list for 2026 we're talking about what makes a good goal and our
[0:04] personal goal setting criteria. We're also sharing a weekly book report and beginning a new segment
[0:05] where we debate listeners hot takes at the end of every episode.
[0:06] Elsie
[0:07] Yeah, you really came through with the hot takes. I loved it was my favorite email of the year. Well,
[0:08] okay, tie with the ghost stories. Yeah. This is right there with ghost stories. This is really up there. So we
[0:09] will ask for more, and we will be doing more, because we decided that instead of doing an episode,
[0:10] we're gonna make it a segment, and we're just gonna kind of do it in every episode until you stop
[0:11] sending them so because they're fun and yeah, just like, it makes us happy, so we're excited.
[0:12] Emma
[0:13] It kind of feels like we're talking to them, like with them, even though we're not, because that would be
[0:14] more fun, or we're debating their causes, yeah, yeah. So it's gonna be fun anyway. It's best we can do.
[0:15] And I like that. Okay, so if you go back in the podcast time machine, then you can listen to the episode
[0:16] where we say our 2025, New Year's goals, but we are just gonna recap them here for you and explain
[0:17] what we got done, what we did, and all of those things. And for me, it was a pretty big pivot year.
[0:18] Elsie
[0:19] It was a great yeah, when I was reading yours, I was like, oh, that's, that's very interesting. That's very
[0:20] interesting. Okay, so I will read you your goals that you set one at a time, and then you just tell us how it
[0:21] went. The first one is that you were considering getting a minivan.
[0:22] Emma
[0:23] I am still planning to get the minivan, okay, but what happened this year was I got a new car battery.
[0:24] Subaru still runs fine. Yeah, I think part of me is like, so getting a new car for me is like getting a new
[0:25] laptop, where it makes me feel like I have to learn a whole new thing, and I don't really like it, like,
[0:26] anytime I have to drive a rental car, I'm always like, Huh? It's like, I don't know how to drive a car
[0:27] anymore, and it's really especially parallel parking, or, you know, anything like that. So I just put it off to
[0:28] the last possible and I think in my mind too, I'm like, if I time this right, the next vehicle I get will be the
[0:29] vehicle that, like Oscar and maybe even Hugo too learns to drive with.
[0:30] Elsie
[0:31] No, I don't think you're that close.
[0:32] Emma
[0:33] I don't know because he's four and a half right now, and my current car is over 10 years my cars don't
[0:34] last that long. I don't know how you get your cars lasting though. I I do the maintenance as it really is
[0:35] needed. I don't like leave it for years or whatever. Anyway, that's what it is. Yeah, because my car is
[0:36] already over 10 years old, so I'm because it was from 2014 so I'm like, Hmm, if I wait a couple more
[0:37] years.
[0:38] Elsie
[0:39] Are you saying you're gonna pass down to your kids a minivan?
[0:40] Emma
[0:41] I think it would be a good car for them to learn to drive on. I kind of think the kid so learn to drive, they
[0:42] tend to wreck the car. I don't, you know, not everyone. I wrecked my first car. I don't know. I mean, I
[0:43] think it's pretty common, hopefully not a terrible wreck. But like, you know, right? You ding it up. You
[0:44] don't know how to drive yet. You're learning. And I feel like a crappy old minivan that's over 10 years old
[0:45] would be a good car. So I hear you, okay, okay. So I'm like, yeah, maybe I'll time this, right? Happy
[0:46] birthday, Oscar. But also, yeah, I mean, I'm cool, but like,
[0:47] Elsie
[0:48] While you have 12 years from now.
[0:49] Emma
[0:50] So if I wait another couple years, if the Subaru can make it another year or two, okay, which based on
[0:51] how much I drive, I kind of think it can, because I don't go anywhere, so I don't know,
[0:52] Elsie
[0:53] All right. Anyways, it's very Midwestern of you, but I do love it.
[0:54] Emma
[0:55] I'm new money. You get it?
[0:56] Elsie
[0:57] No, I do. I do get it. My children are probably, pretty much for sure, gonna be non drivers. So I actually,
[0:58] like, don't like, I actually Okay, so you built a three car garage in my yard, yeah? Why did I do that?
[0:59] Why? Yeah, like, I was thinking about the other day. I was like, why? I think it's because I felt like it
[1:00] would fit the house. It does fit. Maybe that's why it just, it fit. It does fit the house. It's with the scale of
[1:01] the house, yeah? But I don't really, I don't think we'll ever have three cars.
[1:02] Emma
[1:03] I mean, to be honest, I assumed it was for me, yeah, yeah. Well, that's true.
[1:04] Elsie
[1:05] Our brother stays like, I think in my little dream world, I think it would be so fun to get like, a cute little
[1:06] vintage car, but I would never learn to drive a stick. I'm past the point of my life where I would do that.
[1:07] So it would have to be like, everything is perfect. I just don't think that's probably likely.
[1:08] Emma
[1:09] I want to learn new things in my life, but drive a stick isn't high on the list at all. So, like, I'm more likely
[1:10] to take piano lessons than I am do that.
[1:11] Elsie
[1:12] Maybe I could use it for this marigold found on Facebook marketplace. Well, I found on Facebook
[1:13] marketplace, and I showed her, and then she I was like, Marigold marketplace. I saw it. I showed her,
[1:14] big mistake, okay? And what it was was, I think it was an altered golf cart, maybe. But what it is a small,
[1:15] but adult sized, drivable Princess carriage, like, oh, you shared a golf cart? Cinderella, yeah. Really
[1:16] want one. Well, I don't want I don't know if it fits in my neighborhood as well as yours. That's true. That's
[1:17] true. But yeah, so maybe we'll get a princess carriage, I don't know, or maybe we'll just have an extra
[1:18] spot in our garage. Well, anyway, why am I talking about this? Let's move on. Let's move on. Turned
[1:19] into a real Okay, your second goal for the year was that you had this huge, ambitious food blogging list.
[1:20] So tell us about how that went.
[1:21] Emma
[1:22] That went great until April, when we went to our conference. And we've kind of talked about this in other
[1:23] episodes, but we went to this food blogging conference, and it would just became really clear to us that
[1:24] like, the blog is in a different phase, in part because of like aI snippets, and like how Google is handling
[1:25] AI in its search.
[1:26] Elsie
[1:27] Majority part, like 85% is because of like the AI Google changes. Yeah.
[1:28] Emma
[1:29] So there just isn't opportunity in the way that there was even two years ago or three years ago. So
[1:30] since April, since that conference, and we had kind of been like, it's not like, we didn't think this at all,
[1:31] and then we went to that conference and we 100% thought it. I think that's kind of how we characterize
[1:32] it. But that's not really true. Like, we were already, like, seeing a lot of things. Like, we look at our
[1:33] analytics a lot, yeah. So we were already like hmmmm.
[1:34] Elsie
[1:35] This last year has been very up and down and the conference, we were like, if there is like, quote,
[1:36] unquote hope, or if there is opportunity in this space, still, these are the people who will know, because
[1:37] food bloggers are famously the most strategic and smart, in my opinion, smartest shown up segment of
[1:38] bloggers. They're just, they're extremely professional and money driven, compared to, like, the rest of
[1:39] the bloggers, like what we did, I would say they're data driven, yeah, data driven. They're just, they're
[1:40] just very, very, very professional and serious, compared to we a lot of the years we did our blog every
[1:41] day, we just did whatever we felt like, yeah, like it was data driven, very different perspective, yeah.
[1:42] Anyway, so after you found out it's hopeless, then what happened? Yeah, I still write new posts. Like,
[1:43] I'm going to be writing one tomorrow, but it doesn't make sense to do the list that I was doing. So it was
[1:44] just a big pivot time. And I do think that that's made this year really, like weird, like exciting in other
[1:45] ways, because we're about to get to that, but that was definitely, like, a bit of a heartbreak. Yeah, it has
[1:46] been, like, my therapist has been really validating that, like, coming to the end of a career, whether it's
[1:47] planned or unplanned, whether you have control, and it's your choice or you don't have control, it is a
[1:48] form of grief that you have to go through, just like anything, anything else that's a loss in your life. And I
[1:49] think we have been grieving. It's true.
[1:50] Emma
[1:51] Yeah, I think so. And it really comes up anytime too, like I'll see family members that I don't see that
[1:52] much you know who live out of town. They come in town for holidays or see, you know, whatever,
[1:53] people like how's work. And I find myself really just, like, not dreading that question, but like, very
[1:54] unsure how to answer it, and always feeling like I'm kind of lying, because I'm just telling parts of it,
[1:55] yeah, because it's, it's a big question, and it's sort of a strange one now, because it's just yeah, a whole
[1:56] different time.
[1:57] Elsie
[1:58] So anyway, I feel like I'm giving a different answer every time, in a way, that's, it's actually not lying. I'm
[1:59] genuinely just, like, searching for what is the answer that feels right.
[2:00] Emma
[2:01] That's better, because I'm not really deceiving. I'm more just like, I'm not sure what the answer to this is.
[2:02] So I'm gonna say what I think today or what's on my mind right in this moment, but there's other things
[2:03] on my mind too. I don't need to answer your question for 30 minutes. You were just trying to ask me a
[2:04] polite question. So you know it's like, Okay, anyway, yeah. So I would say that that goal did not happen.
[2:05] Slash, pivoted because circumstances change.
[2:06] Elsie
[2:07] I will say I enjoyed the slower timeline. And we're still planning to keep putting recipes up, like, I just
[2:08] finished my kitchen a few weeks ago, and we're like, we have to at least photograph some stuff in this
[2:09] kitchen. Oh yeah, the best kitchen I've ever had. I still have a list like, not that I'm working from it's just
[2:10] not, I wouldn't call it ambitious. Yeah, I think we'll be, we call it the sunset era, and I think we're hoping
[2:11] that we'll be in this era for several years, like years and years from now, as long as it makes sense, we
[2:12] will keep posting recipes, and we will also keep rescheduling, like right now today, I need to reschedule
[2:13] some of our Christmas posts.
[2:14] Emma
[2:15] You needed to do it last week, and I've been noticing.
[2:16] Elsie
[2:17] Yeah, true. Okay, so the next thing you had on your list, I actually didn't even remember this one. This
[2:18] is, I didn't even it is that you wanted to pitch a cookbook idea. So I know how it turned out that you're
[2:19] not pursuing that anymore at this moment, but I don't remember what exactly happened with this
[2:20] cookbook idea.
[2:21] Emma
[2:22] Okay, so I had, like, I'd have to go back and look at my actual pitch. But I had like, three to five ideas,
[2:23] and they were mostly cookbook but I think there were two that were, like, different. They were non
[2:24] cook. One was a jewelry making episode.
[2:25] Elsie
[2:26] You said one was, like, a really unique cookbook idea. What was that one? I just want to know.
[2:27] Emma
[2:28] I'd have to go back and go back and look at my pitch. Okay, to be honest, I don't remember. What was
[2:29] it I'd have to go back and look? I don't know, because this was like a year ago. Okay, so I did pitch
[2:30] them. So we have an agent we work with. Her name is Lindsay. We've worked with her for many years
[2:31] all our nonfiction books. She represented us for them, and we haven't done a nonfiction now a long
[2:32] time since our last cookbook, but it's kind of like a relationship that's always there. It's not that she
[2:33] would work on any idea that we had, but she always wants to hear our ideas. Yeah, she's a professor.
[2:34] Elsie
[2:35] Yeah. She does often tell us, like, that's actually not a good idea, yeah, but we had a couple of
[2:36] meetings last year, and we, I think at some point we'll do another nonfiction book. Yeah.
[2:37] Emma
[2:38] So I pitched the ideas that I had on my list, and I feel like two or three of them were cookbooks. One
[2:39] was jewelry making, and one was, like, kind of a happiness type book. And I think she was most
[2:40] interested in the happiness type book. So then we started exploring that, and it was a book I would do
[2:41] with Elsie that was the idea at the time. And so we explored that for a couple months, I think, and we're
[2:42] not doing it right now, but it's kind of like on our radar of something we might do eventually. It kind of
[2:43] has to do with a lot of things we talk about on this podcast, like finding happiness in different phases of
[2:44] your life, like as you age, having to pivot, having to start new things, second acts. I think it probably
[2:45] would also be a lot about creativity, because that's just a big theme in our life, and a big way that we
[2:46] navigate happiness and life and feeling connected, you know, to others, to the universe, whatever. But
[2:47] as you can tell by the way I'm describing it, we don't have the idea yet. It's not there in my mind. I'm like,
[2:48] I'm open, but I'm not doing that right now. If someday something will come to me that'll be like, this is
[2:49] the idea you should do this, but it's just not there yet.
[2:50] Elsie
[2:51] So yeah, same, same. Okay. And then your last goal for 2025 is that you said you wanted to outline and
[2:52] write half of your contemporary romance novel. So I know this one went pretty well.
[2:53] Emma
[2:54] I did outline it, I did write half of it, and then I wrote the other half, and I'm almost done, yeah, like
[2:55] polishing it, which is sort of the final phase. And I don't really know what draft you would say I'm on.
[2:56] We've talked about this. Like, after the first draft, I feel like it's just more of a polishing. I don't really
[2:57] even think of it as, like, this is my second draft. This is my third draft. I'm just like, I changed this
[2:58] chapter. I added this chapter. Emma writes a very clean first draft. Yes, like, not everyone has that. I
[2:59] don't. I'm a real barrel through person, because I was talking about this with my husband, who's been
[3:00] like, kind of writing something just for fun. And he's more of like, mull over each section. And I'm, I do
[3:01] that a little bit, but I'm much more like I have the outline, and I'm barreling through till the end. I'm just
[3:02] like, rolling down the hill till I hit the bottom, and then I go back and be like, Oh, this part was good. This
[3:03] part sucked. This you know? So, so, yeah, so I am more like that. So anyway, I actually, out of all these
[3:04] goals, destroyed this goal. And you'll see from next week, when we talk about our new goals, how that's
[3:05] impacting my list there, I'll also say somewhat relates this year, starting in July. So five months now, I've
[3:06] been staying home with our youngest son, which was not something that I was planning to do at the
[3:07] beginning of last year. Surprise, that was a big change. So I feel like that impacted some of these goals
[3:08] as well. So yeah, because it's a little bit harder to food blog with a little kid at home, because he loves to
[3:09] get into everything, and it's a little bit easier to write, because there are times that you can pull out your
[3:10] laptop, like when they're napping, or, you know, whatever, but you can't pull out your cutting board on
[3:11] the ground, or where you photograph it, you know. So anyway, so yeah, I feel like that's been, like,
[3:12] really good and also a big part of my year, but not really, like a goal. It was just important and happened
[3:13] and, yeah, making the most of it, and it's fun. It also has trade offs. Everyone who stays home with their
[3:14] kids knows what I'm talking about. So, yeah, no, it looks pretty challenging, but I'm proud of you. Okay,
[3:15] so sweet.
[3:16] Elsie
[3:17] Do you want to read me my 2025, goals? Because I think I did. I think I did like a strong 75%.
[3:18] Emma
[3:19] Yeah, I feel like my report cards like. B minus because writing the novel really saved me. So, yeah,
[3:20] okay, your first one was to write every day.
[3:21] Elsie
[3:22] I did not do this. I like the idea, but I still like the idea of it. I don't think I would re I don't think I would put
[3:23] this. You're not putting it back on the list, no. And the reason why is because I did achieve my writing
[3:24] goals this year, and I'm really happy with how the year went, but I feel like I'm I have been and I have
[3:25] been writing almost every day, and then I have these, like, big sprints, like I had a couple times when I,
[3:26] like, went on my own little writing retreat, you know, alone, which that really helps me when I have, like,
[3:27] a lot of work to do, or I need a lot of concentration. Also, I just don't think it's bad to have breaks. The
[3:28] main reason why I wouldn't put it on again is because sometimes, when you're in between projects and
[3:29] you've just, like, finished one part of something. It's good to, like, take a couple days and sort of like, do,
[3:30] like, like, spend the morning, like, cleaning your desktop, or, like, you know, just doing other goals for a
[3:31] couple days. And I don't think that derails it. So I feel like I'm in the right pattern. And it's not that I have
[3:32] to write every single day, seven days a week. Yeah. I also think the word right, like, at least for me and
[3:33] my process sometimes means, like, today, I like, paced around and thought about one conversation
[3:34] and came up with some ideas for it. But I didn't necessarily, like, sit down and type them all out. You
[3:35] know what I mean? I feel like, if it counts to think about your novels. I did do it every day, yeah, so yeah,
[3:36] maybe there's something in there too, where it's like, you just don't want to get where they're, like,
[3:37] completely out of your brain. And I don't feel like that's really happening at all right now. So yeah.
[3:38] Emma
[3:39] There's also seasons where you only have so much time to work for me, and I think I'll feel this way for
[3:40] a long time. I always need some space to be reading a book about, you know, my craft writing, or taking
[3:41] a class, or, you know, some space where I, like, can't really be writing, but I'm learning, and I think that's
[3:42] really important too. So, yes, anyway, okay, so we're giving you an F on that one. That's what I'm
[3:43] hearing. No, I'm just kidding. I feel like a C, plus, it's like, I I feel like I still like, achieved it. Yeah, c plus
[3:44] is good. I'm good with it. Yes, more than passing it's above average. No, it's you need to tell we're not
[3:45] over achievers. Okay, second one was to query your novel.
[3:46] Elsie
[3:47] Okay, I did query my novel in March last spring, and I did two days of querying. So I think I queried
[3:48] around 30 agents, and I got 10 requests, and I got 17, I think, rejections, and then there were still a
[3:49] couple of people reading the novel when, like, a few of the requests were out, when I decided I actually
[3:50] need to shut this down. I had like, a moment of realization, probably after about like a month or so of
[3:51] querying. I feel like it was in May, though, so maybe it was two months where I was like, You know
[3:52] what? I actually really want to rewrite this. I know that I queried too early, and I know why I did it. After I
[3:53] did it, I felt like I learned so much, like I could see where the bar was set. I got several people who gave
[3:54] me specific feedback about what could be better, and it was very consistent, which is amazing, yeah,
[3:55] like, yeah. I've heard so many stories where people get, like, really inconsistent feedback, and I've been
[3:56] lucky to never have that experience. Like everyone always says the same things about my writing,
[3:57] which is great. So anyway, I shut down my query in May, and I dove into rewriting it, and I did that for
[3:58] the whole summer, and I also took a bunch of courses, and I also read a bunch of books. So I had, like,
[3:59] a big education year, which was not in my plan, and I didn't know I needed that. But once I had, sort of
[4:00] like, failed at my query, but I got close. I got, like, a lot of top agents to read request and read the
[4:01] manuscript, but then no one wanted to sign with me, so I know that I got close, I now can see, like,
[4:02] where I could see where my weaknesses were, that I could improve. I took the classes and stuff, so
[4:03] that was what happened.
[4:04] Emma
[4:05] We're going to give that one an A, really, yeah, because you did it, I learned a ton, and you took the
[4:06] feedback. And I just think it deserves an A. I'm the teacher of this class.
[4:07] Elsie
[4:08] Thank you. That means a lot. I will say like, it was hard. It was a hard season, probably until, actually,
[4:09] pretty recently, this fall, I felt this whole year like I was like, sort of like walking uphill or something like, I
[4:10] would, you know what I mean, like that feeling. Of, like, Emma, is this ever gonna get easier? And also,
[4:11] like, putting aside a finished manuscript and starting over, I would not wish it on anyone. Like, it's just a
[4:12] sad feeling to do that, but I'm so glad I did.
[4:13] Emma
[4:14] Yeah, I just think too, like, you're in that part of the hero's journey where it's like, you know, like, let's say
[4:15] the goal, instead of creating my novel, had been open a business, and you did it, you opened the
[4:16] business, and then no one came, yeah, and you're like, and so then I changed a whole bunch of things
[4:17] about it, and I got feedback from my community, and I read a book, and I, you know, I would be like,
[4:18] Oh, you're doing it, you know, like, you're in the really, really hard part where you had a goal, and you're
[4:19] doing it and it didn't turn out, and you're fixing it, and it's like, that's like, one of the hardest, bravest
[4:20] times. And also, you don't always have as much to talk about yet, because you're not to the end of the
[4:21] story where the hero throws the ring into morador. It's just like you're on the journey, man. So anyway,
[4:22] yeah, no, thank you. That's really nice. All right, so she got an A on that next write a second novel.
[4:23] Elsie
[4:24] Okay, I am into my second novel at 20,000 words, so I'm in it, and I'm really not gonna switch my focus
[4:25] back to it until I'm still polishing and I'm still preparing to query again, my first novel, so I basically just
[4:26] put, like the rewriting took the place of that goal a little bit. But I did work on my second novel this year,
[4:27] and I am really excited about it, so I'm gonna roll that goal over to the new year.
[4:28] Emma
[4:29] Love it. Okay, launch art website and sell art. How do we do on this?
[4:30] Elsie
[4:31] Okay, on a good note, I did stay at my gallery, the Liz legit gallery. I sold paintings there, I think, four
[4:32] times this year. So I, you know, make all the paintings, ship them to them, and then they sell the
[4:33] paintings. So I did, I think, a solo show and two group shows, and maybe one group show, and then a
[4:34] two they do this, this like Christmas sale, and then they do, like a Christmas in Summer Sale, where it's,
[4:35] like art that's $500 and under. So I always do those, because I really like making small pieces. It's
[4:36] actually scratches my brain. Yeah. So I did do, I did work on my painting this year, and I do want to
[4:37] keep it as a goal for the future, but I did actually change up my goal a little bit, and I'm no longer making
[4:38] a painting website right now. I decided to make a different kind of website, which I'm going to talk about
[4:39] in my goals next week, but I think I'm more focused on the novel writing career right now and then with
[4:40] the painting. I'm just gonna do what I've been doing. So I already booked my next solo show for May,
[4:41] and I'm not gonna try to, like, pursue it any deeper than that for the new year.
[4:42] Emma
[4:43] Cool, so she's doing it. But art's her, her side.
[4:44] Elsie
[4:45] It's like, my it's like a hobby that sort of, like pays for itself. And like, you know, maybe, like, I technique,
[4:46] like, this past year I had this really special studio, so it paid for that. But I am actually moving home next
[4:47] month, which will be really exciting and cool. So, but, yeah, I love doing it. I just don't want to do it. I
[4:48] don't want to do it like on a tight schedule at this point right now. No, I get that. Okay. And then the last
[4:49] goal was one renovation to rule them all to finish. So how did the renovation go? We did a whole
[4:50] episode on it so you could go back. Yeah, but what's your ah, I can just summarize elevator version. So
[4:51] we, we did have a hard year. We did get through it. We are, at this point, basically completed. We're on
[4:52] these finished this finishing touches, with a couple of things in our home, getting the inspections. We're
[4:53] really wrapping up, like getting the painters and like the very last things done. So we did have to make
[4:54] our renovation significantly smaller than we had planned, because the team just moved too slowly, and
[4:55] we realized it was a two year project by like the springtime, instead of a one year project, and we
[4:56] weren't willing to do the two years. So we just took a whole bunch of stuff off the list. So there are still
[4:57] two rooms in our home that someday I would like to renovate that unfortunately we're not able to get
[4:58] done. But they're not important. It's the main bathroom and the laundry room, and they do suck a little
[4:59] bit, but, but I don't care. You know what I mean? Like, I'm at peace with it. Yeah, I could keep them for
[5:00] 10 years or forever. Like, I don't think it's a deal breaker. And I'm so happy with the rest of the home. I'm
[5:01] so happy with the kitchen. So in the new year, we are going to do some outdoor projects, but we are
[5:02] done renovating the inside of our house right now, and it feels like a miracle.
[5:03] Emma
[5:04] Yeah. Excellent. Yeah, I feel like I'm getting, like, so much mental health back, and like good vibes and
[5:05] just like ability to enjoy your own home. And it is like the most beautiful kitchen I think I've ever seen in
[5:06] person. Thank you. It's gorgeous, and it just goes with your home. It feels very Elsie. It also feels very
[5:07] miracleed, like just marigold is kind of making in there.
[5:08] Elsie
[5:09] Yeah, she, she is definitely my sidekick.
[5:10] Emma
[5:11] Yes, she is, all right. Well, some general questions as we round this out a little bit. Okay, so what is the
[5:12] thing you're most proud of that you accomplished this past year in 2025.
[5:13] Elsie
[5:14] So when 2025 started, we had all of our passports were expired. One of our children still didn't have a
[5:15] United States passport. I think, yeah, Marigold, she's, I think she's still, and obviously you don't want to
[5:16] travel with a Chinese passport after your adoptions completed. So we just hadn't traveled overseas
[5:17] since the covid era. Yeah, so for five whole years we didn't travel overseas. So this year we got all that
[5:18] done and got all our passports. They're all fresh and, you know, synced up, which is nice, like, you
[5:19] know, when you feel like your kids are gonna expect the kids, you know, they did. You know, they give
[5:20] kids five years and they give you 10 years. That's a little annoying. But other than that, whatever they
[5:21] do change a lot. Like, that's true. Hugo has a passport, and he already looks completely different from it
[5:22] because, you know, but anyway, yeah, so we went to London for our first trip, and then this next year
[5:23] we are still planning, but I think we're gonna go to Paris. That's what our seven year old has her heart,
[5:24] and it's like, yeah, so. And I think we're just going to spend, like, it's one of my husband and I's like,
[5:25] biggest family goal is that we want to spend the next 10 years traveling the world with our kids and, like
[5:26] experiencing that together as a family. So I think that'll be really fun. And I'm proud of myself for just
[5:27] like, getting it started, doing the first trip, you know, and sort of like ripping off the band aid. What are
[5:28] you most proud of for the year?
[5:29] Emma
[5:30] Oh, I'm finishing my novel, The wedding photographer. I think it turned out really nice. It's still getting its
[5:31] final polishing right now, but I just feel like it's really fun. It's I set out to write, what is my comfort genre?
[5:32] Yes, and I would say that I did. It has a lot of fun, witty dialog. It's very flirty. It has some really spicy sex
[5:33] scenes. Most of my friends who have read it, read it in a day or two, which is always kind of a goal of
[5:34] mine, yeah, and for this genre in particular, so I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I also feel like
[5:35] I fell in love with writing this genre, so I'll definitely be writing a lot more of it. And yeah, I'm very excited
[5:36] to send it out in the world. Hopefully someone wants to represent her, we'll see. Yeah, no. And there's
[5:37] gonna be querying soon, like maybe next month. My mind, I'm like, I'm gonna get an agent for my 40th
[5:38] birthday, which is January 21 so I'll get an agent for my birthday. That's what I'm telling the universe,
[5:39] come on, universe, we'll see. But that would be putting it out there. Yeah, oh yeah. Okay. So what, what
[5:40] unforeseen project did you spend a lot of time on this past year in 2025.
[5:41] Elsie
[5:42] Okay, so I already mentioned my book, rewriting the novel, and I'm so glad I did like it was, it was really
[5:43] like a rewrite is like writing the same novel again from nothing. So it was like writing a novel, you know,
[5:44] it was still writing a novel, but it but, you know, I was able to, like, use a few things from the first
[5:45] manuscript, but not very much at all. Yeah, so, yeah, that was really fun. I'm really glad I did it. I didn't, I
[5:46] didn't plan to do it, but I'm very glad that my brain was, like, so set on it, because it's kind of like
[5:47] common advice that it's better to write a new novel than to rewrite an old one. But for me, this time, I
[5:48] think I did the right thing.
[5:49] Emma
[5:50] I mean, I think just like parenting, you kind of like have to hear all the good advice you can and then,
[5:51] like, see what situation you're in. Yep. And sometimes you just got to do something else, and you just
[5:52] know it's the right thing. Okay, my thing that I spent time on was Hugo, yeah, I said he's been home. So
[5:53] every time I've taken a maternity leave, I usually only stay home for three or four months, which any of
[5:54] our UK listeners are probably like, or European, yeah, but here in the US, that's pretty common, slash,
[5:55] maybe even kind of long. So now that I've been home five months with him, this is the longest I've ever
[5:56] stayed home with a kid, yeah, and I do have some help, like right now, and nanny's with him while I
[5:57] record, obviously, because he's not in this room, ripping everything apart. But you know, I'm home a lot,
[5:58] and it's been different and been really fun, but there's trade offs, and, yeah. I do feel like I'm in a groove
[5:59] now with it, though, where I'm used to it, and we have our routines, and I kind of know what to expect,
[6:00] although they're always, you know, if parents of young kids know, they're always, like, kind of changing
[6:01] their schedule on you like, you know, he had two naps for a long time. Now he's down to one nap, and
[6:02] now his one naps getting, like, a tiny bit shorter, yeah, which is all very normal, but it just like, keeps
[6:03] changing. So you're, like, in the middle of some little project you're trying to finish that you don't want
[6:04] him awake for. And then he wakes up and I go, okay, so I better put all this stuff away before he sees it.
[6:05] It's a lot of Christmas stuff right now. Yeah. Anyway. So, yep, that's it. Okay. And then last question is,
[6:06] what did you accomplish that wasn't on the list.
[6:07] Elsie
[6:08] So I feel like I did my, like, retraining for a new career, like reading. I think I read like, seven craft books,
[6:09] so that was a lot. And then I did a couple courses, and that was, like, not on my list. But I'm really glad I
[6:10] did it at the time. Think it was the perfect time to do it, and it's the thing like from now on, for the rest of
[6:11] my life, if I'm ever talking to someone who's trying to write a novel, I'm always going to be like, just set a
[6:12] budget and just let yourself do as much training as you can. Because I'm just like, glad I had that
[6:13] opportunity. And I think at first I thought that I could, just like, I watched, like, a couple master classes,
[6:14] which are very short, and then I read that Stephen King writing memoir, which is, like it, it's kind of a
[6:15] craft book, but it's not as much of a craft book as the other ones are. It's more inspiration. Yeah, it's
[6:16] really inspiration. It's more about his writing, and, like, a peek inside his life. And for me, it was not
[6:17] probably what I needed to hear. So I got to, like, kind of get a full scope of, like, all the different advice.
[6:18] And then, you know, once you hear all the different advice, then you can pick and choose which things
[6:19] fit for you. So I'm really glad I took that time in 2025, what was on, what wasn't on your list?
[6:20] Emma
[6:21] That you wrote down nothing? Lol, well, you did have, you didn't finish a whole novel. You weren't
[6:22] planning to. Yes, no, I'm happy with my year. This is a really random one too. But I was thinking I was
[6:23] like, you know, at this moment right now, you know, mid to late December, I'm really glad that I already
[6:24] celebrated my 40th. I know that might sound weird, like, oh, it was just something you had to check off
[6:25] your list. And I'm like, no. But also I think I'd be feeling kind of stressed right now if I hadn't, because,
[6:26] you know, it's a big birthday, and I would feel like I need to do something, but January is such a weird
[6:27] month, and I like to just kind of hibernate, because you never know when there's gonna be a
[6:28] snowstorm where we live. And I just like that. I'm like, I already celebrated, I already did this big thing,
[6:29] and I got a new tattoo, and I hung out with my friends, and I went to a different country I've never been
[6:30] to, and it's already done. So when people are like, What are you doing for your birthday? I'm like, here's
[6:31] what I did, and it's really cool. And I'll probably just get takeout on the actual day, and that's and I'm
[6:32] really happy with that. So I don't know. I think I'm a real like, like to get a jump start on things person. So
[6:33] I just feel happy about that. And I It wasn't really on my radar at the beginning of last year, so, and I
[6:34] really think you put it on my radar. So thank you.
[6:35] Elsie
[6:36] I did. Thank you. I will put more trips on your radar. Actually, great, Sierra. I love it. That's it. Was one of
[6:37] my best memories of the year. I'm so happy we did that. It was very fun. Okay, do you have a book to
[6:38] share this week for book report?
[6:39] Emma
[6:40] Time I do, I do. I just finished just for the summer, by Abby Jimenez. And I've never read one of her
[6:41] books before, so this was my first one. She has quite a few, and I loved it. I'll definitely be buying all of
[6:42] them on thrift books, probably as soon as I get off this recording, because I'm addicted to thrift books.
[6:43] But it was beautiful. It was so sweet, and the dialogue's lovely. This one has a lot to do with like trauma
[6:44] and mental health, but not in a I mean, it is kind of heavy, I suppose, but it's definitely a contemporary
[6:45] romance that's fun to read and a page turner. It's not super spicy, so if you like light spice, this is a nice
[6:46] one, but there's lots of moments that I laughed This couple was just very funny and very sweet, and I
[6:47] really, really enjoyed it. I cried at one part. Yeah, loved it. Very fun, very fun, contemporary read and
[6:48] romance. And definitely will be buying all her books. Good. I'm so glad to hear that. Yeah, I haven't read
[6:49] one yet, but she's really cool too. She's like a Food Network Star and, like, it was a bunch of other
[6:50] things in her career, yeah, and her books are great based on this, so I can't wait to read more.
[6:51] Elsie
[6:52] Ah, nice. Okay, so I read this is a celebrity memoir, The uncool by Cameron Crowe last week, and so I
[6:53] had heard him on fresh air a couple weeks ago. And he was talking about David Bowie. And so I knew
[6:54] there was gonna be David Bowie stuff in the book. And I will not lie, I love David the entire book. I was
[6:55] like, waiting for David Bowie. I was like, I was just like, I was there for David Bowie. Yeah, but the whole
[6:56] book was very nice. He is adorable, great personality. So a lot of the celebrity memoirs I read are a lot
[6:57] more like provocative and have more like secrets and gossip. And, you know, like this one was very
[6:58] wholesome. It was very family oriented. It was very oriented on his career. And he did have, he has,
[6:59] like, a fantastical, unbelievable career story. So it's very special, and it's very different, I would say, than
[7:00] the other ones I've read. So yeah, I really enjoyed it. And the David Bowie, I would say it's probably
[7:01] about two chapters that are just David Bowie, if you're in it for the same reasons as me. Was it a
[7:02] satisfying amount of David Bowie? Yes, okay, it was, and it was, it was very up close and one on one,
[7:03] but it did, I will say it did. I left it and I was like, I need to just read my Dave. I have some David Bowie
[7:04] books on the shelf that I haven't read yet. I was like, I just read my David Bowie books now, because I
[7:05] do have just like, such a fascination and compulsion. I know everything about him. David Bowie, so
[7:06] much, yeah, yeah. But yeah, this was very cool. I want to go back and re watch almost famous.
[7:07] Emma
[7:08] That's one of my favorite movies. It's like I think we talked about in an episode, but yeah, it's definitely in
[7:09] my top 10 for sure. Yeah. Love that movie, yeah. So a little bit based on his life, kind of it is. It's it. He
[7:10] calls it auto by autobiographical. And there was also a lot of stuff in the book about his mom. It was, it
[7:11] was sweet, it was wholesome, and a lot of it was just like family and career oriented, which I can relate
[7:12] to that. I like that. Yeah. And he has, like, a very, like LA Hollywood Life, but it doesn't feel like, it really
[7:13] doesn't feel like a lot of social climbing for how many famous people are in the book. So it was just
[7:14] wholesome. Yeah, you know, this is such a digression, but the other night, we watched, you know how
[7:15] David Letterman has his thing now, where he does, like, a long interview with one person, and he's like
[7:16] my next guest. I don't know any so and so well. He's, you know, I haven't seen semi retired, I guess.
[7:17] Now he doesn't do a show. Right now, he has a show where it's like, do no, I think it's on Netflix, I want
[7:18] to say, but he'll do a long interview with one celebrity, and he'll usually kind of like, go to something that
[7:19] they're doing or whatever. Some of the people you've watched, Kim Kardashian, but the one that I just
[7:20] watched was Adam Sandler, okay? And if you don't know, I have a huge crush on Adam Sandler. I do
[7:21] think he's hilarious, but I also think he's such a great actor, like you haven't seen uncut gems or punch
[7:22] drunk love like, he's just a really interesting person to me. And I don't know exactly why I seem to love
[7:23] him so much. I mean, I do love, like, 51st days, he does a lot of rom coms, so maybe that's a piece of it,
[7:24] but I figured it out as I was watching and it kind of reminds me of what you're saying about Cameron
[7:25] Crowe, because a lot of the interview, he was kind of talking about growing up in his family life and
[7:26] trying to impress his dad, and things with his wife, things with his kids. And I was like, oh, that's part of
[7:27] why I love him. He's just like a sincere person who is a Hollywood celebrity, but like, kind of has a sort
[7:28] of normal life behind the scenes. And I get that because I'm a very family oriented person myself.
[7:29] Elsie
[7:30] I believe that I heard, I hear that some people that live, I don't know which neighborhood it is, but in
[7:31] New York that they see Adam Sandler, like, every day, like, it's like, here's a certain neighborhood
[7:32] where he's just kind of wearing track pants and playing basketball or whatever. Yeah, yes. And I'm
[7:33] jealous of that. That sounds like a good life to live.
[7:34] Emma
[7:35] He just seems adorable to me, and I love him. Oh, yeah, no, I like him too. Yeah. An Adam Sandler
[7:36] movie marathon would be a nice thing to do. They're so some of them are just so ridiculous, too. I love
[7:37] a wacky comedy. I think it's fun. All right, we're doing our first hot take. Okay?
[7:38] Elsie
[7:39] So this one is, I will say, like it's not burning hot. There's some more coming. So we're gonna do this in
[7:40] every episode. Yeah, this one is chill. This one, but I do have passionate feelings about it, so I loved
[7:41] reading them. I will say thank you to everyone who sent in your hot take. We're pretty much going to do
[7:42] one per episode, so please do send them. Please elaborate. We may not read the elaboration, but we
[7:43] might like for us to see, yeah, like what you read it on the podcast. Yeah, like, your reasons. Because a
[7:44] lot of people just put, like, one sentence, and I was like, a little curious to hear more about, like, why are
[7:45] you so passionate about this? But they were all very fun. And, yeah, it brought it brought us a ton of joy.
[7:46] So our first one is from Chelsea, and the hot take is, gift cards are great gifts. So which side of the
[7:47] debate do you want to be on?
[7:48] Emma
[7:49] Either one. And because I'm like, Yeah, I see it. Also, I have some other points. And kind of my goal
[7:50] with these hot takes is to just like, let's do our play devil's advocate. So are you the same? You're like,
[7:51] yes, but also I could go either way on this, yeah, okay, well, let's just say all our points then.
[7:52] Elsie
[7:53] Okay, so we're not debating. I think they want us to debate. They want us to debate. Let's let's give
[7:54] them that.
[7:55] Emma
[7:56] I don't really feel like that's fair, because I'll always crush you. Just kidding.
[7:57] Elsie
[7:58] Okay, so whoever wins is is debating for Chelsea's side. Gift cards are great gifts. Okay? Rock paper
[7:59] scissors. Okay, so you won. Okay, so I'm Chelsea's okay. Okay, so it's okay if you crush me, Emma, I'm
[8:00] just joking. I thought you'd think that was as previously stated, Emma was in speech and debate in high
[8:01] school, and I was not. So she does have an unfair advantage, but also, I think I'm meaner and also
[8:02] more relentless than you.
[8:03] Emma
[8:04] I think you are definitely. You're not really mean her, but you are more relentless. I can't argue very
[8:05] long. I get real over it real quick. So that's my weakness, is if you just keep going, you'll win with me
[8:06] every time. Because I feel like all right, you I'm out of here.
[8:07] Elsie
[8:08] So I think my best point that I have for why gift cards are great gifts, is because gift cards are great gifts
[8:09] when you don't know the person. Well, I personally can go more on the gift cards, or I don't like giving
[8:10] gift cards. I'll just say that as my own, I won't give a gift card for Christmas.
[8:11] Emma
[8:12] She's already messing up her debate.
[8:13] Elsie
[8:14] Actually, I got her grandma one, I got her grandma one, I got one gift. She's back in okay, but I know
[8:15] her well, she's different, She's special. Okay? It's true. So the reason why I think gift cards are great
[8:16] gifts is because it's better than getting something specific that you can't return, that you don't really like.
[8:17] Like the worst. Okay, I'll say what I think are worse gifts than a gift card. I think that scented candles
[8:18] that you didn't pick out worse gift than a gift card, any kind of food gift that you didn't pick out worse gift
[8:19] than a gift card, any kind of perfume or, honestly, cosmetic like, there's so many things like bath soap,
[8:20] like you want to, like, pick things out yourself, like I, at least I do, unless the person knows me so well,
[8:21] which, to be fair, a lot of people do. But you know, not really. You're a weird You're hard to give gifts to,
[8:22] actually, because you're very specific. And you also buy everything you want. People who buy
[8:23] everything they want buy me the best gifts, though I just am in chat. GPT, like, here's what my sister's
[8:24] like. She's weirdo. What do you think I should get? No, I'm just kidding. Oh, I'm offended. Okay.
[8:25] Anyway, I think gift cards, it gives you something to look forward to. I think as long as the gift card is just
[8:26] somewhere fun, not to Starbucks, then I think it's a good I think it's a good gift. I think it's a great gift.
[8:27] Okay, how did I do? Pretty bad. I would say, go ahead, you mostly just roasted other gifts the whole
[8:28] time.
[8:29] Emma
[8:30] Okay, okay, here's why that's true. Yeah, that's mainly your argument. It could be worse, and I don't
[8:31] know if that's saying they're great, like, don't maybe we need Chelsea here in person, because maybe I
[8:32] don't actually agree with this, but go ahead, do do your well. I do think gift cards can make a great gift,
[8:33] but I'm going to give you my points on why they don't. So I would say they tend to feel impersonal. I'd
[8:34] also say that there are many people in the world who will not use a gift card. It to them, it feels like
[8:35] using a coupon. Or they just feel like, what if I use this? But then I still owe $2 but I don't have any cash,
[8:36] and then it's awkward, or, like, I need to leave a tip, and then I don't know if I you know, so there's a lot
[8:37] of like, moments gift cards get wasted, yeah? So you know, and businesses know this, so you know,
[8:38] works for the small businesses. But like, yeah, so that. And I'll also say, if you're gonna give a gift card,
[8:39] something that can kind of be more exciting is just cash. Cash is, I mean, if you're just gonna give a gift
[8:40] card, why not like, do cash, but you could like it look kind of cool, like, you could even like, do the thing
[8:41] where you fold it into something weird or whatever. Like, there's a lot of ways to make cash kind of
[8:42] neat. And cash can work anywhere. It could be for something that they want to buy themselves. It can
[8:43] be if they're in a situation where, like, Oh no, I need cash and I don't have any. Oh, thank god this
[8:44] person gave me some cash. It's kind of like, if you're going to do a gift card, I would say, do cash
[8:45] instead. And gift cards can feel impersonal, and sometimes people don't like them. So yeah, these are
[8:46] my points.
[8:47] Elsie
[8:48] Okay, well, I don't think we did you justice, Chelsea, but I will say I would rather have a gift card than a
[8:49] bad gift. But I don't know if I think it's a great gift.
[8:50] Emma
[8:51] They travel well, you should have put that on your argument list. Travel. You can mail them. You can
[8:52] also give them to people when you're like. I really, really don't know, like your mail carrier or, you know,
[8:53] stuff like that.
[8:54] Elsie
[8:55] I will say, whenever my mother in law always does this, she will get, like, we live right next door to a
[8:56] local coffee shop. She will go there and get that gift card for our stockings. And I think that that is a
[8:57] great gift, because it's like, it shows that you thought about the person and their life, you know, and
[8:58] you're not just, like, in the target checkout, picking a whole bunch, yeah, in cap, just grabbing things,
[8:59] yeah and Okay, the last thing I will say, since I've already failed at this one, is don't regift gift cards.
[9:00] Don't ever regift a gift card. Don't do that, because a reject gift card is like, they can tell they know, they
[9:01] know you didn't really pick out an olive garden gift card for them.
[9:02] Emma
[9:03] Also, a lot of times gift cards after one year, they like lose some value. Really, I thought that was illegal.
[9:04] Oh, I thought you could do that. Did they change it? I don't know. Actually, I have no idea. Actually,
[9:05] some people like them. Some people don't. That's the truth. Okay.
[9:06] Elsie
[9:07] Well, I feel like we gave enough for other people at home to form their own opinion. You decide for we'll
[9:08] do better next time. Sorry, we'll be back next week with our goals for 2026, episode. Thank you for
[9:09] being here. The best way you can support our podcast this season is to tell a friend about it. Just tell a
[9:10] friend who's into the same stuff as you are about our podcast. That would mean so much to us. We're
[9:11] grateful for your weekly emails and messages. If you have a topic request for the new year, or if you
[9:12] want to send us a hot take to debate, we'll try to do better than we did with Chelsea's email us anytime
[9:13] at podcast@abeautifulmess.com.

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