Sorta Awesome

Latest Episodes:

462 15 new releases we absolutely loved! Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

Awesomes, have you noticed that 2023 is just killing it when it comes to amazing new book releases?! Meg is joined by Sorta Awesome regular Katie Proctor, and they have so MANY books to discuss! From memoir to essay collections to literary fiction and all kinds of genres in-between, there’s something on this list for every reader.

Not a Super Star yet? Today is a great day to become one!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Green Chef: Go to GreenChef.com/60AWESOME and use code 60AWESOME to get 60% off plus free shipping

*Rocket Money: Cancel unneccessary subscriptions with Rocket Money today. Go to RocketMoney.com/awesome.

SHOW NOTES:

Meg’s AotW: The Dating Detectives podcast

Katie’s AotW: Sex Education on Netflix

KATIE’S LIST

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Congratulations, the Best is Over! By R. Eric Thomas

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto

Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

MEG’S LIST

Tough Titties by Laura Belgray

Failure is not NOT an option by Patrick Hinds

True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

The September House by Carissa Orlando

Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 408: The books that shaped who we are

Ep. 461: The AWESOME LIST for Fall 2023

Ep. 456: Midlife with Mindy and Meg: The Ultimate Bittersweet

Ep. 396: Beach reads round-up!

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

You can find Katie at her website or on Facebook and Instagram! And be sure to order her latest book Color Coded!

Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a tiny commission from the seller at no additional cost to you, if you purchase from them. We only share products and services we have used, tested, and love ourselves!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

461 The AWESOME LIST for Fall 2023 Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

What’s the color you’ll be seeing everywhere this autumn? What little hack can make your mums even more glorious? Which movies should you plan to catch in theaters in the next few months? Meg and Kelly are back with one of their favorite episodes - the seasonal list, and they’ve got everything you need to know for the aiutumnal months ahead. From what to sip to what to wear, from delightful recipes to game-changing hacks, they’ve got the scoop just for you!

Not a Super Star yet? Today is a great day to become one!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Brooklinen: Visit Brooklinen.com and use code AWESOME20 for $20 off your online order of $100 or more

SHOW NOTES:

Kelly’s AotW: Laufey

Meg’s AotW: None of this is True, Lisa Jewell (on audio)

KELLY’S LIST

Water mums from the bottom

Spooky thrift painting—some examples:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7h9G9M/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7h5Suy/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7hDSK3/

Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup

Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Herbal Tea

Halloween char”boo”terie

MEG’S LIST

We’re not really strangers conversation cards

Fall movie releases

Fall style

Red on trend

Latte make-up including brownish lips:

SAIE Nouveau at Sephora

ColourPop lux lipstick in latte at Target

ColourPop lux lipstick in latte at ColourPop

Revlon Toast of New York at Amazon

Fall cozy

Muslin blanket

Tsh’s new journal

Fall fragrances from PULP Fragrances:

Embrace

Autumn Morning

PAST FALL LIST EPISODES:

Ep. 410: Your AWESOME list for autumn 2022!

Ep. 349: AWESOME LIST FOR FALL 2021!

Ep. 262: The AWESOME List for Fall 2020!

Ep. 215: Awesome List for Fall 2019

Ep. 166: The Awesome List Fall 2018

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Kelly on Twitter , Instagram and on her website!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

460 Pro Tip: Failure can be fun! with Patrick Hinds Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

It’s a big dream-come-true day for Meg as she gets to sit down with one of her all-time favorite podcasters: Patrick Hinds! Patrick is the co-creator and co-host of True Crime Obsessed, a podcast that is always at the top of Meg’s must-listen list of favorites. But he’s not here to talk all things TCO today! Instead, he’s sharing two incredible, unforgettable stories from his bestselling brand new book Failure Is Not NOT An Option: How the Chubby Gay Son of a Jesus-Obsessed Lesbian Found Love, Family, and Podcast Success … and a Bunch of Other Stuff. From hilarious misadventures with a golden (and grouchy!) celebrity to a touching story of saying yes to growing a family, you simply must hear the wisdom and the hilarity that Patrick has brought for the Awesomes!

Not a Super Star yet? Today is a great day to become one!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Foria: Get 20% off your first order by visiting foriawellness.com/AWESOME or use code AWESOME at checkout

SHOW NOTES:

Patrick’s AotW: Stage Combat podcast

Meg’s AotW: Heartstopper Soundtrack on Spotify

Failure Is Not NOT an Option by Patrick Hinds

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 459: What was the last…?

Ep. 458: Soup season ideas to steal from The Cook’s Book with Bri McCoy

Ep. 454: The Internet made me buy it

Ep. 455: Midlife with Mindy & Meg: Facial changes & life pivots

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Patrick Hinds is the author of the hilarious memoir Failure Is Not NOT an Option. He is also the creator, writer, and star of the touring show Patrick’s Traveling Book Party and the co-creator and co-host of the hit true crime/comedy podcast, True Crime Obsessed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

459 What was the last ... ? Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

Meg and Rebekah had SO MANY WORDS for this conversation that we had to trim it waaaaaay down, BUT! The full-length ad-free version is available right now for all Super Star Awesomes over on Patreon! Not a Super Star yet? Today is a great day to become one!

Friends, what was the last … time you cried in public? felt embarrassed? laughed until you cried? Meg and Rebekah dig into each other’s personal lives by asking each other about all the lasts, and it takes them in some unexpected places!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Brooklinen: Visit Brooklinen.com and use code AWESOME20 for $20 off your online order of $100 or more

*OneSkin: Get 15% off with the code AWESOME at oneskin.co

SHOW NOTES:

Rebekah’s AotW: Don't Text Your Ex Happy Birthday by Nick Viall

The Viall Files Podcast

Meg’s AotW: Locket App

REBEKAH’S LINKS:

Harry's House. by Harry Styles

Jury Duty

Harry Styles Birthday Cakes

Big Brother 25

Latuza Women's Pajama Pants

Harry Styles LOT Sweatshirt

Watch TikToks at 2x Speed

The Summer I Saved You by Elizabeth O'Roark

e.l.f. Contour Palette

I Tried Swedish Death Cleaning My Entire House by Mia Maples

MEG’S LINKS:

Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights album

Heartstopper Season 2

Jury Duty

Love At First Sight

Amazon pillow sham

Car cup holder trash can

KISS press-on nails

Glamnetic nail glue

This Is Why They Hate Us, Aaron H. Aceves

Glossier Pro Tip Eyeliner

Saie Hydrabeam Concealer

Goodnight Moon - ASMR Celebrity Personal Assistant (bathtime, steam treatment, positive affirmations)

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 458: Soup season ideas to steal from The Cook’s Book with Bri McCoy

Ep. 450: Midlife with Mindy & Meg: Busting midlife myths

Ep. 430: What to do when your reading feels broken

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Rebekah on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 458 Soup season ideas to steal from The Cook's Book with Bri McKoy! Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

Some of us find joy in the kitchen, and some of us … well, maybe it’s not joy we find in cooking. Or maybe we used to find joy in cooking until we got burned out. Regardless of whether you consider yourself a home cooking expert or if you are happy to get through a meal without setting off the smoke alarm, you are going to love this conversation between Meg and Bri McKoy! Bri’s brand new book The Cook’s Book is fresh off the press, and this beautiful book is packed with inspiration for all the awesome to be found in the kitchen!

Can’t get enough Sorta Awesome? Become a Sorta Awesome Super Star! You’ll get immediate access to hundreds of hours of exclusive content made just for the Super Stars!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*K12: Go to k12.com/AWESOME to learn more and find a tuition-free K-12 powered school near you

*Rocket Money: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions—and manage your money the easy way—by going to RocketMoney.com/awesome

SHOW NOTES:

Meg’s AotW: Starwalk app

Bri’s AotW: Tipsy braised shortribs with mascarpone mashed potatoes

The Cook’s Book: Recipes for Keeps & Essential Techniques to Master Everyday Cooking

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 356: Best meals for busy days

Ep. 111: Our Favorite Meals

Ep. 234: Go-to recipes and foodie memories

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Buy Bri McKoy’s book The Cook’s Book: Recipes for Keeps & Essential Techniques to Master Everyday Cooking! Find stories and recipes on her food blog at OurSavoryLife.com. Watch her videos with recipe tips and tricks and read her reflections on Instagram @brimckoy. You can also find Bri on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/brimckoy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

457 Dear me at sixteen ... Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

Oh, if only we could have known then what we know now, right? If you could tell your sixteen year old self anything, what would it be? That’s what Meg and Kelly explore this week, along with a heavy dose of nostalgia as they revisit who they were when they were sixteen!

Can’t get enough Sorta Awesome? Become a Sorta Awesome Super Star! You’ll get immediate access to hundreds of hours of exclusive content made just for the Super Stars!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Foria: Get 20% off your first order by visiting foriawellness.com/AWESOME or use code AWESOME at checkout

*Green Chef: Go to GreenChef.com/60AWESOME and use code 60AWESOME to get 60% off plus free shipping

SHOW NOTES:

Kelly’s AotW: Freeze jalapenos whole to use all winter!

Meg’s AotW: How To with John Wilson (on Max)

Amy Grant: Lead Me On

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 454: The Internet Made Me Buy It (Part 1)

Ep. 453: Advocating for people experiencing homelessness: a conversation by Nate Hoffer

Ep. 456: Midlife with Mindy and Meg: the ultimate bittersweet

Ep. 449: Amazon finds the Awesomes swear by!

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Kelly on Twitter , Instagram and on her website!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

456 Midlife with Mindy & Meg: the ultimate bittersweet Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

In our Midlife with Mindy & Meg series, we’ve covered lots of topics from many angles about the physical changes midlife brings, but what about the changes to our family dynamics and the roles we’ve fulfilled for years? Midlife brings seismic changes, and today, Mindy is here to hold Meg’s hand through the giant change of sending a grown child out into the world!

How much do the people in your life know about perimenopause and menopause? Quiz them with our MIDLIFE survey and let’s see how much our people know!

Find the Midlife with Mindy and Meg playlist on Spotify. (Bonus: share with friends!)

Be like Mindy and be a Sorta Awesome Super Star!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*K12: Go to k12.com/AWESOME to learn more and find a tuition-free K-12 powered school near you

*Caraway: Visit Carawayhome.com/AWESOME for 10% off your next purchase (or use code AWESOME at checkout)

SHOW NOTES:

Meg’s AotW: 4 Pocket High Waisted Skort

Mindy’s AotW: Shark Heart: A Novel

Brooks Falls Katmai Natl Park via explore.org

Beartown by Fredrick Backman

This isn’t a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch

Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 427: Let’s Talk About Midlife: The struggle is real in the clothes closet

Ep. 380: Let’s Talk About Midlife: Brain Fog and Cycle Chaos

Ep. 395: Let’s Talk About Midlife: Parenting Our Parents and Life in the Middle

Ep. 401: Let’s Talk About Midlife: The Ups and Downs of Sex!

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Mindy on Instagram!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

455 The internet made me buy it! PART TWO Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

We know - we left you on a cliffhanger! Sorry about that, friends. But here is part TWO of Meg’s conversation with Kelly and Rebekah talkin’ all about the things the internet has made them buy. Not only do they finish our their purchases lists, they also fill you in on the things that are hanging out in their carts while their fingers linger over the BUY NOW buttons!

This is PART TWO of a two-part conversation and it dropped ad-free for all Super Stars last Friday. Did you know that VERY Super Stars get ad-free episodes every Friday? Check out our VERY Super Star tier in your Membership to make the switch to all ad-free, all the time!

Come over to Sorta Awesome on YouTube!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

OneSkin: Reverse the signs of aging with OneSkin’s ground-breaking approach! Get 15% off with code AWESOME at oneskin.co

SHOW NOTES:

Kelly: Uproot pet cleaner

IN KELLY’S CART: Prose / tiny ice ball trays

Rebekah: Sweatshirt Cult

IN REBEKAH’S CART: Simple Modern Tumbler

Meg: Rainbow window clings

IN MEG’S CART (or is it?!) Bleame

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Kelly on Twitter , Instagram and on her website!

Find Rebekah on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Visit sortaawesomeshow.com for show notes on this and every episode. And don’t forget to find us in the Sorta Awesome Hangout on Facebook or @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram, and @sortaawesomepod on Twitter!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

454 The internet made me buy it! PART ONE Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Fire up those browser tabs, friends! This week, Meg, Kelly, and Rebekah are here give you the scoop on all the things they’ve been influenced, pestered, arm-twisted, and convinced to buy some …. interesting … stuff online! From clever candles to chef knife perfection to hydration that may or may not just be water, they will tell you all about what made them hit BUY NOW.

This is PART ONE of a two-part conversation. Part Two is available AD-FREE now for all Super Star Awesomes. Sign up to become a Super Star and get immediate access to part two of The Internet Made Me Buy It plus hundreds of hours of Sorta Awesome you’ve never heard before!

Come over to Sorta Awesome on YouTube!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Rocket Money: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions—and manage your money the easy way—by going to RocketMoney.com/awesome

SHOW NOTES:

Rebekah’s AotW: Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark

Kelly’s AotW: Fall menu at Starbucks release Aug. 24 - including Casi Cielo whole bean coffee (the best coffee Starbucks offers, in Kelly's opinion)

Meg’s AotW: Red White and Royal Blue (movie)

REBEKAH’S BUYS:

Spiral Light Candle

Friendship Socks

KELLY’S BUYS:

Misen chef’s knife

Kitsch heatless hair curler in satin

MEG’S BUYS:

Electric Spin Scrubber LA1 PRO

Buoy hydration drops

(Dr. Angela Stanton’s Migraine Protocol)

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 433: We’re obsessed: products we’re loving, hating and wanting right now!

Ep. 453: Advocating for people experiencing homelessness: a conversation by Nate Hoffer

Ep. 404: Rom-Coms for the modern era!

Ep. 449: Amazon finds the Awesomes swear by!

You can find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Find Kelly on Twitter , Instagram and on her website!

Find Rebekah on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

453 Advocating for people experiencing homelessness: a conversation with Nate Hoffer Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

The third time is, indeed, a charm for one of our favorite Sorta Awesome spouses - Nate Hoffer! Nate is back on Sorta Awesome this week, and he and Rebekah have fresh insights to share with Meg and the Awesomes about new perspectives and developments in the matter of caring for people with dignity. There’s so much to learn in this conversation, and of course, you know the discussion is an awesome one!

Back to school shopping? SHOP OUR LINK to support the show!

Come over to Sorta Awesome on YouTube!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

*Foria: Get 20% off your first order by visiting foriawellness.com/AWESOME or use code AWESOME at checkout

SHOW NOTES:

Nate and Rebekah’s AotW: Jury Duty

Meg’s AotW: Cutting Teeth, Chandler Baker

Good Samaritan Services

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

MORE EPISODES FROM SORTA AWESOME:

Ep. 59: Nate Hoffer crushing misconceptions about homelessness

Ep. 220 How to be awesome with holiday gifting (with Nate Hoffer)