TrailMix

Ever feel like you are just surviving?  Maybe you are totally thriving? Either way you are feeling today this Trailmix is just for YOU! We are taking on the notion that life is "either '' survive "or '' thrive. In reality we are all fighting to hold on and longing to flourish.  Join us as we survive and thrive because we are always.....better together!

From the important to the absurd, what we think we MUST have to make it through the day! And - we are also surprised at how much we can live without.See if you agree what you can and can't live without!

Are you looking forward to the New Year? Today we dive right into the New Year with both anticipation and, if we are honest, a little trepidation – there’s a lot of unknown as we turn to a new blank page. The New Year is here!

We hope that you are enjoying this Season of childlike wonder! Inspired by two of our young friends and their spontaneous podcast, got us thinking about ....WONDER. We need to explore how to unlock that childlike wonder in this season and year round. We wish you a  wonder-FULL Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  

'Tis the holiday to be scary, but not too afraid.  Today we confess our fears and those creepy things that make us shudder. Join us as we take on those Halloween haunts and fears.  And remember: Trick OR Treat, but ALWAYS Trailmix!

Can you believe it? The Walt Disney Company is 100 years old. What a story! Magical moments through the years and the fantastic longevity of one man's dream. Today, we take a look back at milestones and memories  - join us for the PARTY!

Hot, Hot, Hot! It's that time of year when we are thankful for watermelon and air-conditioning! We share our summer of vacations, hosting travelers, and attending celebrations - and even some fireworks. Join us with your Trailmix which makes the summer even better!

Today we’re talking about what we are excited about AND what we are learning these days. Perhaps our thoughts will help you reflect on what's up in your life and how we can all celebrate the everyday – because life is both the exciting and routine and every minute counts. 

We missed you and are ready to chat again! We'll talk about our words for this year, a thoughtful (and hilarious) book review, and a recent Disney trip with a five year old! Join us as we reconnect, re-mix and serve up some Trailmix. And, as usual, don't forget the chocolate --- and popcorn!

With Thanksgiving, we thought about being thankful, but you might be surprised what ended up on our lists. Today we are going to discuss a few things that we didn't even realize we were thankful for until we started chatting. Happy Thanksgiving, dear Podcast Friends.

We out on ourselves about the day-to-day things that make us cranky… and share some tips on what we can do to stop the crankiness. From the little annoyances to some bigger triggers, we will dive right in - because after all, "cranky needs company"!

Sure, there are some famous overcomers who inspire us, but we all have a story of being an overcomer – prevailing in spite of difficulties or opposition. An African Proverb says, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors” Join us as we discuss a life of putting one foot in front of the next and living a life of resilience.

Some words have a good AND a bad connotation - depending on how we define and use them. They can be misused and even mistrusted at times, and you might be surprised what words make the list. You might even add some of your own tricky words to handle with care!

Are expectations helpful? Should we lower our expectations? There are expectations for people, circumstances and each and every day. As people of high expectations, they can either lead us down a helpful path or derail us all together.

"I knew when I met you, an adventure was going to happen", 

Winnie the Pooh. 

Friendship is a fabulous thing, not to mention it is good for you. Join us as we chat about the benefits and our personal Buddies!

Young Life is a fabulous organization that has been a part of Jody's life for almost 50 years. Mary wants to find out more about her involvement and the reason behind her passion. We hope that you will join us for some Young Life scoop!

"It's greater, later". Today we take on that often-maligned idea of "waiting". Why is it so hard to wait? Can waiting actually be time well spent? You might be surprised at all the ideas that could actually make you not, "wish away the wait"!

We talk a lot about our time at Disney and today we are going to go back and take a peek at life before our time working at Disney. It’s fun to remember the jobs and lessons learned, and the ways past experiences moved us forward. Let's glance in the rearview and how it prepared us for a Disney career.

Today we roll up our sleeves with our husbands Bill and John and talk about gardening! They have two VERY different takes on the topic but share the same passion. Vegetables to flowers and even put a few tips out there to get you excited to make it grow!

Summer is here and we couldn't resist talking once again about our favorite topic - eating. Our favorite summer foods and what to eat to stay cool. What are the most popular foods of summer? What should you take on a  picnic or camping? And wherever you go this summer... don't forget the Trailmix!

"This land is your land, this land is my land", and we don't ever want to forget how truly blessed we are to be in this Country. We have such a rich history and plenty to celebrate this Fourth of July and don't forget the fireworks!

Our Trailmix friends keep asking us to share more of our "secrets." Fears, fun, facts, and more will be revealed. You might be surprised at what you will hear, and we know you will think of some of your own secrets and smile.

We can't believe it, but today is the 100th episode of Trailmix! And you, our treasured friends, made it happen. What a journey and joy to share time with all of you sorting through life's fruits, sweets and nuts. We are excited to look back and celebrate with you some of the thoughts, laughs and insights we have had over the last few years.

How are you feeling? No one really knows your health better than you. We’re talking physical, mental, and emotional health, and spoiler alert, COVID didn’t help. We’re sharing thoughts and ideas on how we can all get on the road to feeling our best self!

Conflict is inevitable – at home, with family and at work. We’ll cover what’s NOT fair in fighting and some of the research and our own experiences and tips to help get to positive outcomes.

Mary has always been amused and intrigued by Jody's incredible collection of Disney treasures. Today we are going to get all the "scoop" behind this fascinating accumulation. What criteria designates a treasure? How does she decide what to keep? We will have some fun discussing it all.

Leadership - a loaded word and concept. This is not a study on how to lead, but rather our thoughts about what it takes to be a leader and what we feel are the most important attributes. Whether you lead your team, your family or maybe yourself, this is an interesting topic that can get your mind moving.

The best way to be citizens of the world is to get out there and experience firsthand places outside of our country. Today we share stories of international travel, both the best and the worst. Join us as we take a look back to share some "other" world experiences.

We only grow if we are stretched – and sometimes that stretching can really feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we are forced outside our comfort and sometimes it is a choice. Join us as we chat about stepping outside of our comfort zones with personal stories of successes and failures.

Just in time for Mothers' Day, we wanted to have some fun chatting about all the cool and crazy Mom-isms. You might have used some of these yourself, but most certainly you have heard them a time or two. It surprised us as we learned the most popular and famous Mom quotes. So, as Mom says, "put on your happy face" and join us to celebrate Mom!

Next Week is Teachers' Appreciation Week and we couldn't miss the opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful teachers out there! We chat about our favorite teachers, characteristics they share, and the admiration we have for their incredibly hard work. Make sure you thank a teacher and give us a listen to cheer on our dedicated teachers!

Our very own "music man" makes an all-star appearance on the podcast this week! Mary's husband Bill entertains us with the history of his love of music and how the band got started. You don't want to miss this fabulous celebration of music and the very entertaining Bill.

We all have a story to tell, and you MUST let it out! Today we are going to talk all about, "writing and letting your story out". Even if you have never thought about writing a book, we all need to be encouraged to let others benefit from our experience, history and unique journey. Your story is a gift to the world!

There are some things that just aren't right and today we are talking all about food that just isn't right. We aren't sure you will agree with all of our assessments, we don't even agree on all of them, but we thought we would "chew" on it together. We hope you will grab some Trailmix, which is always right, and join in the debate.

Time change, warmer days, pollen, flowers, birds -  things we think of when we think of Spring! It’s a time of hope and promise so we explore the good, bad and the everything Spring has to offer. Doing Spring cleaning? Join us and we hope it will make your heart sing!

Today is the day that we discover that "failure isn't fatal"!  Based on the request for more "Disney behind the scenes”, we thought we would take a less magical look at some our favorite Disney failures. It’s always good to remind ourselves that we all fail, and how most failures aren’t fatal, and often lead to magic.

We have become smoothie converts but have met some opposition, so what better way to sort through the fruits and nuts than to talk it out with all of you – what should and should not go in it? What about chewing? Join us in the “smoothie” conversation!

Who knew that Jody was the queen of junkin'? Well actually her Mom holds the title - Jody was born into a long line of junkers - or treasure hunting as she prefers to call it. You might be surprised at the unlikely places you can find hidden gems. Join us as we explore the life of a junkin!

We must all want to help our relationships and marriages because every time we ask what topics you want us to cover, the resounding answer is... marriage! Today Jody is going to interview Mary for her marriage mentoring tips on how to help your relationships grow stronger and last longer.

We couldn't resist! On almost every podcast we use some Disney "words" and we thought, why not have an entire episode about our favorite Disney quotes – new and old. You might know some of them, but you also might pick up a few new words of wisdom from some of your favorite characters, songs, Walt Disney and the Mouse himself!

We couldn't let Valentines Day go by and not give a shout out to love. Are you feeling it? We hope you will join us as we dig in and dish about all things. Regardless of your sweetheart status, give a listen and bring your Trailmix to share – and of course, chocolate and popcorn recommended!

COVID – it’s all around us and especially now that we have firsthand experience. We won't try to be doctors, experts or too serious, but we have always been upfront and honest with you. Join us as we sort through life's fruits, sweets and nuts - and that for sure includes COVID!

Sometimes, you gotta get out of the house and let someone else do the cooking – not to mention all the adventures that come from trying new things! Dine in or carry out? Comfort food or new cuisine? We want to "dish" about all of it and we hope you will join us!

Since we’ve talked about our favorite books, why not chat about "TV guilty pleasures". We are going to cover them all - sitcoms old and new, reality TV, sports, even the Hallmark channel! Join us to dish about all things TV watching!

Today it is all about the fish with our special guest fisherman and Jody’s husband, John! We’ve got lots of questions for John that will help us gain insight into why fishing is so fabulous – and the beauty of getting outside. You don't want to miss this one or it will be the "one that got away."

On one podcast, we talked all about, rules that we DON'T live by and today we flip it around and chat all about the rules we DO live by and why we have adopted them! Wonder if you will agree with our lists? Hope you get to thinking about your "life rules" and maybe you will add a few new ones to your list?

The end of the year is here and there is no better time to talk about the differences between the "rearview mirror" and the "windshield" because we can cruise along and miss so much if we don't have the right perspective. We hope you will join us, as we start the engines, check the rearview mirror, and rev up to move forward into 2022!

Today we have a special guest...our very own Bill Tomlinson - Mary's husband and passionate cook! You won't want to miss all the scoop on his love for cooking and how he thinks about recipes. Bring some Trailmix because you will be REALLY hungry listening to this episode!

In the song "Famous Friends" by Chris Young and Kane Brown, there’s the line "I've got some famous friends you've probably never heard of." At Disney, the amount of talent was over the top, and like the song says, you probably don't know many of them. Today, we are going to chat about just a few of the amazing people BEHIND the scenes at Disney. We hope you will join us in celebrating all the folks that are backstage bringing the magic!