Pop Culture {Podcasts}

I've written about my favorite podcasts before but today's post is strictly about those that stick to one topic - pop culture! Let's face it, I'm all about keeping up with what's going on in the celebrity world and I love it when someone else can break it down for me in an entertaining way. I would like to say I am in training for becoming an unbeatable pop culture trivia contestant but really, I'm just doing it for fun and as a way to decompress. They're great during a workout or grocery shopping. Hey, I always have my earbuds in when I'm grocery shopping because I hate it so much! A good, juicy podcast makes it bearable!

Here are a few juicy, NSFW, pop culture podcasts that will help you not take life too seriously. Probably shouldn't let your kids listen though :)

(I use the Overcast app to organize all of my podcasts but you can find all of these on Itunes!)

1) Watch What Crappens

Now this one is dedicated to making fun of everything that is Bravo. Ronnie and Ben recap some of the most popular shows on the Bravo network like all of the Real Housewives, Top Chef and Below Deck. These guys give me life! Most of the time, these podcasts are just as good if not better than the actual show! Be ready for some silliness, awesome impressions, lots of laughter and hilariousness.

2) The Perez Hilton Podcast

Perez gets a bad wrap for his reputation for being pretty snarky in the past. He has a website dedicated to everything celebrity, music and hot topics. I really have never followed him much before finding this podcast other than the occasional scandal that warranted a juicy google search. I love this podcast though! He has a cohost, Booker, who doesn't let Perez get away with too much and keeps him in check. The back and forth between the two are what makes the show. They talk about music, celebrities, politics, anything that is in the news that isn't a snooze fest. LOVE IT. This is a good way to get caught up with pop culture all in about 30 minutes. You will have just enough tidbits of hot topics for a good conversation starter!

3) Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald

Heather is a comic and a former writer on Chelsea Lately. Each episode she talks about what's happening on the latest Real Housewives episode (not a full recap like Watch What Crappens), the drama in her own life (she has a series called Serial Sister dedicated to how insane her sister is), and what her comedian friends are doing. There is really nothing Heather won't talk about. O.J., Jon Benet Ramsey, the Kardashians (she's friends with Kris). She usually has some pretty good guests on too. I've listened to the Tamara Judge interview, Kelly Dodd interview and several others that were super juicy. She really goes in for the inside scoop!

4) Who Weekly

Bobby and Lindsey discuss everything that is celebrities-that-no-one-knows. Their tagline is "Everything you need to know about the celebrities you don't." These two keep it short and sweet and answer all of your questions for those no-name people in Hollywood that you know nothing about but hear their names from time to time. They are like pop culture detectives!

5) Come Thru Queen

Brendan and Dan talk about all of their favorite reality shows including RuPaul's Drag Race. They also gab about news topics, celebrity scandal, Real Housewives, and all the hot gossip. They spill the tea! You can count on these two guys to give you the scoop.

Please share with me if you have a favorite one too so I can add it to my list!

Life Lately {Get Organized in 2017!}

There was a lot of junk in this junk drawer! So I tackled it with a drawer organizer and got my self straightened out!

Starting 2017 a little more organized.

AHHH....It feels so much better!

Here is the drawer I bought on amazon.com

The before...SERIOUSLY?!?

You can move the dividers around to make it fit just how you like it.

It felt so good, I bought a second one and organized the kitchen gadget drawer too!

LOVE IT!

What have you organized lately?

Life Lately {My Favorite Charcoal Face Mask}

Guys, this is my hands down favorite mask to even out skin tone, clear up trouble skin that is breaking out and to brighten up your face! I put it all over my face but you can definitely just put it on your T-zone or your breakout zone. Wherever you are having the trouble. It is quite alright to mix and match with different masks on different parts of your face. Some areas might be dry, like near your nose, and other areas might be oily and clogged, like your chin. 

Since your taking the time to mask...go ahead and treat yo' self! Get your goodies together! 

*Headband

*Washcloth

*Facial Brush

*BONUS - hot tea to sip while your waiting for the mask to set

Make sure you start with makeup free skin and go ahead and get your washcloth soaked with hot water. I like mine HOT! But, you be the judge of your own level of comfort. Place the washcloth on your face and just let it sit there for a little bit. Get it all nice and McSteamy up in here. OPEN up the pores!

I want my pores to open up so I go as hot as I can stand it. You don't need to towel dry. Just let your skin stay slightly damp.

Load up your brush if you have one. I highly recommend getting one if you don't. It feels so SPA! A little extra special treat. If you don't have one by all means use your fingers! No biggie. 

With this mask, I do avoid getting it to close to my nostrils. It just tingles too much. This is where the brush comes in handy. 

Unless you are extremely confident in yourself...

If you used a brush, wash it out with a little bit of mild soap and let dry on a towel before your put it away for storage.

I usually let it sit about 10 - 15 minutes. Now is the time where you make yourself a little hot tea...sit on a sunlit patio and soak up the sounds of nature! OR plug in your headphones and listen to some relaxing music while your in the tub. You know where you feel the best.

 I will use the same washcloth and get it hot hot hot! I let the washcloth just kind of sit on my face and really just warm up all of the pores. Then just wipe the mask off, rinse and repeat.

Here's a before and after to scare the living daylights out of you (since I'm not wearing any makeup)

You may not be able to see a big difference since you're not living in my skin (hahahaha) but I see a difference. Just an overall better skin tone, less redness and a brighter color.  

You'll want to finish up with a moisturizer. This just happens to be the one I use for daytime. (I use organic Argan Oil at night). Don't skip this step! 

(I'm not affiliated with Origins at all! Just wanted to share!)

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What Podcasts To Listen To {My Faves}

photo source

I LOVE a great podcast. I listen to them while driving, walking on the treadmill, running or cleaning the house. Most of the time I am listening to a podcast rather than music. Unless I am grocery shopping. I can't concentrate on a podcast while I'm trying to check off every item from my list. I have a huge list since I only grocery shop once every 2 weeks. Other than that...you can catch me listening to a podcast!

I love true crime, historical, silly, funny...whatever! 

I wanted to list for you some of my favorites in case you are just getting your feet wet in the podcast scene or you are an old pro and need someone to dish with! Please let me know if there are some of your favorites on this list OR if you have a great recommendation!

I listen to my podcasts from my iPhone with the Overcast app. Here's a few that I love (in no particular order)

#1) Serial

Let's face it. This is probably THE most popular podcast. Maybe. I mean, I don't officially have the statistics but surely to goodness it's got to be up there. Season One was my favorite. Season Two is great too but doesn't come close to the awesomeness of Season One. Plus, there are SO MANY podcasts that were spinoffs of Serial Season One ALONE. I mean, it was the one that got me hooked, so....

In case you have been living under a rock, Serial Season One is about the true crime story involving Adnan Syed. More info here. 

#2) Undisclosed

Take my word for it, when you get done with Serial Season One you will feel as lost as a baby deer without it's mother. Bambi lost. You will need closure and you will need it BAD. That's where Undisclosed comes in. It is a VERY detailed and informative podcast. Sometimes it got overwhelmingly detailed and intense but that's ok. It gave me the information I was needing to cope with Serial Season One being over. Ya'll I needed help after it was over. So it was very welcomed! I also tried listening to the Truth & Justice podcast but never really fell in love with it. But it is a good one to listen to so you can get your Adnan Syed fix.

#3) Crime Writers On

This is ANOTHER podcast that was created because the need to discuss Serial Season One was so great. BUT they offer so much more. The four podcasters are hilarious and very well informed. I like the open forum style and their different backgrounds. They also get into Serial Season Two which is a very lively discussion. As always, I needed someone to help me process each episode of Serial every week. These guys also talk about awesome tv shows like People vs. O.J. Simpson, Downton Abbey, and Making a Murderer. 

#4) Missing Maura Murray

This one is a missing person case that is over 10 years old. So you may be asking yourself...why would I listen to something that happened so long ago? I think it makes it that much more intriguing. Maura Murray seemed to basically vanished into thin air a very long time ago and the hosts (Lance and Tim) go over a ton of information. Lots of mystery, intrigue and surprises.

#5) Generation Why

This is another true crime podcast with the difference being that they take on a different case each episode. It was interesting to hear their take on the recent Steven Avery case and the older Scott Peterson case. Aaron and Justin do a great job at giving you a lot of information in a clear and organized manner. It's very easy to follow and they really stick to the facts. They do offer their commentary on the case or the incidents but they don't let it over take the facts.


#6) This American Life

This podcast is great just because of the variety. The subject of the podcast varies as much as the colors of the rainbow. It can be about the pressures of middle school, addiction, the environment, current events, really anything that happens in every day life. These are even safe to have on around the kids (The host, Ira Glass, will warn you if there is going to be bad language)

#7) 99% Invisibile

This podcast is basically a mini This American Life. Roman Mars is the host and his voice is so soothing. He tackles a ton of fun, interesting and thought provoking stuff. The episodes are less than 30 minutes each.


#8) Pop Culture Happy Hour

A group of 4 (I think) people get together and talk about movies that are out, tv shows that are great, new albums that have been released, and really just anything that pertains to Pop Culture. Some are around and hour long and some are "small batches" and are under 10 minutes. It's a very helpful podcast when The Oscars come around. I love analyzing the nominees and the winners.


#9) Criminal 

Phoebe Judge is the host and she is a great storyteller. Her voice is one of the best! So soothing and so calm. Each episode she brings a short story about, well, a criminal or a crime that happened. Another true crime one, yes. Phoebe seems to take on a lot of stories that are local to North Carolina, which I like since I live in NC.


#10) Mystery Show

A modern day Nancy Drew is what Starlee (the host) is. It's super fun and light. As far as I know there is only season one but I hope she is coming back for a season two!! This is not just about true crime. Starlee takes on any mystery that she has discovered herself or a suggestion from a friend. One time she went on a hunt for a lunchbox. I know, that sounds boring but wait until you hear what kind of lunchbox... This was THE first podcast I ever listened to and I was HOOKED.



Here is a list of some more that I have in my Overcast app:

11. Embedded (takes a news story and goes deeper)
12. Hidden Brain (cool stuff broken down and explained)
13. Lore (creepy folklore stories - so good!)
14. The Moth (true stories told live by the author themself)
15. Netfreaks (Netflix series commentaries - really helpful!)
16. RadioLab (similar to This American Life)
17. Us & Them (Almost like mini documentaries about important subjects)
18. You Must Remember This (all about old Hollywood)
19. Detective (true stories from a retired detective - so good)
20. Invisibilia (similar to 99% invisible but with two female hosts - so good too!)


For you locals:
*Asheville Folk (always a good discussion about everything Asheville!)
*AVL Food Fans (I mean, you gotta listen to Stu tell you everything about the Avl Food scene)
*Finding Asheville (interviews with Ashevillians about their businesses, artistry, etc. with a awesome co-host I love to support. Hi Emily!)


HAPPY LISTENING!

Life Lately {Spring Has Sprung}

I am hoping that the nice weather is HERE TO STAY!!!

I've been trying to slow life down a bit and not hyper focus on any one thing. I am so bad to do that. I get my claws into something and I don't let go. I took a vacation day from working out and watching what I eat. Turned into 2 days really and about a half of a 3rd day! This week I am back to exercising but just doing it at the gym. I'll be back to T25 next week. I am one week away from finishing the Beta phase. Anyhoo...

We finally got Riley's "tire" swing up and he LOVES it.

I love seeing these little lambs in the field near my house. SO adorable.

We celebrated Riley's birthday with some of his friends from school at the gymnastics spot down the road. SO much fun.

We celebrated our 4 year anniversary on the down low by just walking around downtown and doing whatever popped out at us. It was a lot of fun.

Our first date was at Vincenzo's downtown so of course we strolled by there. It's now closed which is sad but it's still adorable to look at!

We tried a new Indian spot and it was very tasty! I broke away from my same ole' same ole' and tried a curry dish instead of Saag Paneer. DELICIOUS.

There is the longest line ever in front of French Broad Chocolate Lounge and that's to be expected. It's a great place for chocolate. But if you don't want to wait an hour, this place is just as tasty! It's called Chocolate Gems. Yums. And they also have gelato :)

We took an awesome 2 mile hike up to Mt. Pisgah. It was so breathtaking at the top. We brought a monocular and we were able to spot the Biltmore Estate and the Grove Park Inn. Too cool! Oh and we saw a lot of smoke in the distance and sure enough when we got back to internet there was a horrible brush fire that got very out of hand and burned a lot of acres. Close to our neck of the woods! Not good!

What are you guys doing?

Oh and don't forget to enter our Mother's Day Giveaways. There are two prize packs!

Life Lately {Weekly RoundUP 3.20.16}

STUFF On the Interwebs:

• If you're not following this girl on Snapchat then you're missing out
• Instagram is changing it's feed algorithm
• Gotta love some awesome decorating hacks!

Over on my INSTAGRAM:

• #noregrets
• these crepes were awesome! I used this recipe. I replaced the cream with greek yogurt!
• #thisbeautifulweathertho!

WHAT I'M DOING:

Enjoying lattes and biscotti way too much

WHAT I'M WATCHING:

Fit to Fat to Fit on A&E. It's just crazy. That's all I can say. 

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO:

The Generation Why Podcast. Mostly true crime stories. But these guys are straight to the point. They use a pretty no-nonsense-way to analyze a mysterious missing person case or why most serial killers tend to be men, etc. etc.

WHAT I'M EATING:

My son and I made these Lamb Butt Cookies last week. I could barely eat one. Too sweet! My son ate one and we sent the rest to my husband's work! 

WHAT I WANT:

A long kimono for wearing with shorts this summer. Perfect cover up for the back of my thighs which I LOATHE.

Life Lately {Weekly RoundUP 2.27.16}

***little late because of my stupid toothache!***

Stuff on the Interwebs

• What's the etiquette on vaping in public? Here's a Vogue article tackling that question.
• I'm obsessed with this lace top extender! Grace and Lace have so many options and I want every single one! They even have shorts extenders for when your cutoff denims are just a wee bit too scandalous.
• I'm finally on Snapchat! Find me at jessicawnc1 :)

On my Instagram

• Were you as obsessed with her as I was?
• Double workout Fridays! 
• Sometimes I have the weirdest food combinations at meal times

What I'm doing...

Dealing with a horrible toothache! It started last week and I just had it pulled yesterday! Oh my gosh. The worst. I was scheduled for a root canal on March 9th but I could not wait 2 weeks. The pain was way too intense. I had relief as soon as they started numbing me up and I figured it would hurt so much when the meds starting wearing off. But it didn't! I finally had relief! Don't get me wrong, it's a little tender. I can't chew anything on that side. I accidentally sucked through a straw and thought OH CRAP! I've ruined everything. But so far so good. At least I am not eating ibuprofen like candy because of the pain! YES!!! It was my very back molar so I am ok to still chew once the skin heals.I really couldn't chew much on that tooth anyway because the last filling I had never really felt right.

What I'm watching...

 photo source

The People v. O.J. Simpson. It's not going to win any awards but it's ok. I actually think Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark is fabulous. It does get a bit cheesy in some parts but overall it's kinda interesting to go back to those first few days of the investigation. Something that shocked me is that her children were actually asleep upstairs during the crime. I really had not put 2 and 2 together on that when I heard about the murders the first go around. I felt so so bad for the children. Just to wake up to their worst nightmare...their mother was just...gone. I almost teared up a little when the actor that plays Ron Goldman's father talked about how Ron was pretty much ignored as a victim. SO sad. Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark really conveyed that she wanted justice for them.

What I'm listening to...

My dad installing a new skylight! This beautiful creation replaced a janky, old, foggy skylight. I LOVE IT!!!!


What I'm eating...

A SUPER DELICIOUS Indian meal out of my Skinnytaste recipe book! Chickpea curry and roasted tumeric cauliflower.


What I'm buying...

This light fixture! Wowzers! It's going in my kitchen above my table. I'm so excited. I'm ready to get rid of this old janky thing:

What I'm wearing...

This was one of my most favorite outfits in a long time!

As far as fitness...
I'll be back on the fitness wagon tomorrow I hope! I lost a whole week to a bad tooth. I'm so aggravated about it. What can I do about? Just start back up. I'm actually going to start the whole T25 Beta phase OVER!

Living Lighter with Chobani!

I am in the middle of my T25 Beta Challenge and I'm still going strong! I had to take a few days off because of my toothache so that leaves me starting week 3 over. That's ok! I won't give up! I may end up doing the whole Beta phase again before I can move onto Gamma. More importantly, 2016 has been a year for fitness, getting healthy, and eating healthier. One of my favorite snacks is yogurt. And one of my favorite yogurts is Chobani. I love Greek yogurt. Honestly, I really don't like any other kind of yogurt.

I fell in love with the Chobani "Flip" in Salted Caramel Crunch flavor at first bite. I loved "flipping" all of those little tasty tidbits into the yogurt! I like Chobani's natural ingredients. No aspartame! No Splenda! Yuck. I can do a Diet Dr Pepper every now and then but I really don't like artificial sweeteners in my food. On my next shopping trip I wanted something with a little less calories but still had the fun feeling of the "flip" - those little added crunchies! But I didn't want any aspartame or Splenda. That's when I found this:

 I really enjoyed the Strawberry Chocolate Truffle. It is sweetened with Stevia and I'm ok with that type of sweetener. Unlike aspartame and Splenda, Stevia is plant derived.

Those are milk chocolate rice crisps, dried strawberries, and dark chocolate cookies that you add to strawberry yogurt. Yum. 

It's so funny because I just picked up my first Simply 100 Crunch Chobani yogurt on my last grocery shopping trip and only a few days later I got the opportunity to partner up with Chobani and write about my experience! Perfect timing!

 I am excited to work with Chobani because it is a product that I love. I want to share with you guys some of their tips on how to "Live Lighter" and how we can all plan on getting and staying healthier this year!

I am tracking my calories right now so that I can stay on track during my T25 challenge.

 Chobani Simply 100 is only 100 calories. Check out all of these ways you can burn 100 calories!

The best thing I ever did to help myself become more aware of my fitness level was to get a Fitbit. I get really excited to see how many steps I've taken, how many calories I've burned and how many minutes of activity I have. I actually get disappointed when I have 30 minutes or less of activity! Ha! It wasn't that long ago that there were days and days that would've had zero minutes of activity! Especially when I was working at my desk job.

Not anymore! I have actually come to a point in my life that I can say that I love working out. I don't always FEEL like it. Sometimes it is hard to get started but I never regret it after I'm done. I like to give myself a reward after my workout and I can't wait to try the other two flavors of the Simply 100 Crunch!

In case you missed it - here is my Fitness Essentials post!

*All reviews and opinions are my own. I love to partner with brands that I enjoy!*