Young Adulting

In today’s episode we are joined by Azora Zoe Paknad, the founder of Goldune. Before starting Goldune in the middle of the pandemic (in the short span of 5 months!), Azora Zoe worked for Food52 and before that, she was Grace’s social media intern at BaubleBar! She has worked in the ecommerce and content space for years and when quarantine started she got to work and started her own e-commerce site, selling the best sustainable homewares. Azora Zoe shares the intense process of building a company and her personal journey to this point. We talk about reusable straws, food storage tips, product swaps and shocking recycling facts. Do you know what a soapberry is? Neither did we! We got a crash course in sustainability and we hope this helps you find little ways you can make changes in your everyday life that will work towards a healthier planet.     More Zoe: @goldune.co instagram Goldune.com  Use code BOP for $10 off your first order   Zoe’s Recs:   Kosas Big Clean Mascara Nature First Laundry Pods @pattygo

It’s the time of year where we reflect on past resolutions and create new ones for the new year ahead. As we look back on the insanity of 2020 and the way that it affected our goals and ability to achieve them, we found some silver linings! Although we are definitely cautious as we set our 2021 goals, we’re also optimistic. We talk about our personal, business, and mental and physical health resolutions and the steps we are taking to get there. Whether you like to make resolutions or you just like to wing it, we support it! If we learned anything in 2020, it’s that this year needs to be about being good to yourself.   11 Goal Setting Apps - help keep you on track!   Instagram: @galisonpuzzles @zillowgonewild Obsessions: Ouidad Leave-in Conditioner Bimble - CBD Seltzer code GRACE for 20% off What We’re Reading: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Perfect on Paper  by Sophie Gonzales (out in April) The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (out in May) Musical Chairs by Amy Poepple Joyful by Ingrid F

We’re back with our first episode of a brand new year! To kick off 2021 we are joined by Kelley Knight, author of Spells for the Modern Mystic Ritual Guidebook and Spellcasting Kit. Kelley is bringing mysticism into the mainstream, and we are here for it! We chat about her own psychic awakening, building her business, and her freakiest predictions. She does a mini tarot reading for each horoscope sign to see what lies in the year ahead. We also have a bonus January reading for those Virgos and Libras like us! We even learn a quick cleansing spell to clear out the bad the vibes that 2020 left behind.   Don’t know your sun sign or your rising/ascending sign? Visit Astro.com and all you need is birth location, date, and time.    More Kelley Knight: Modernmysticshop.com @modernmystic_shop Modernmystictarot.com Spells for the Modern Mystic Ritual Guidebook and Spellcasting Kit Spells for the Modern Mystic Intensive   Instagram: @sharonsaysso @shitbloggerspost Obsessions: Death to 2020 on Netflix Plant Juic

For the last book club of 2020, we chose The Cousins by Karen McManus. This is a twisty YA thriller, sans murder - making it kind of the perfect book for both of us! This is the tale of Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story: three cousins who barely know each other but are invited to work at their estranged grandmother’s resort. All of their parents have been disinherited and the cousins learn more and more about the dark secrets of their family’s past. We chat about which cousins we relate to most, our theories about the ending, and our interest in the psyche of the adult characters. We both really enjoyed this book and we hope you did too!   Join us in the Facebook group and let us know what you thought!   More Non-Scary YA Thrillers: One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus One of Us is Next by Karen McManus Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth   Obsessions: Algeni

2020 is coming to a close and we are not going to let this year end on a negative note. There were really some great things about this year (politics and pandemics aside, of course). In this episode we talk about our biggest professional and personal accomplishments this year and all of our favorite purchases. We reminisce about our favorite episodes of the pod this year, our favorite books, clothing and beauty purchases and all of our favorite ways that we self-cared our way through 2020.   Grace’s Post: I don’t want kids … and that’s okay!    Best Overall Purchase of 2020: Grace’s Dining Chairs - Vintage Marcel Breuer Cesca Chairs via 1st Dibs Brightland Olive Oil Fridge Lazy Susan The SoulCycle Bike   Favorite Clothing Purchases of 2020: Pandemic Pants from Old Navy Aerie corded oversized sweatshirt (Quarter zip version; original is sold out) Eileen Fisher Tunic Sweaters Ralph Lauren Blazer Vuori Joggers Amazon Fleece   Favorite Beauty Purchases of 2020: Dr. Bader Face Cream San Tropez Self Tanner P

How is it possible we’ve never done a holiday episode?! Let’s fix that starting… now! In this episode we talk about our favorite holiday traditions, how we decorate, our fave holiday foods, and, of course, the best movies and books to get you into the holiday spirit. We also share our favorite small businesses that you should know about for gift shopping this holiday season!   Join us in the FB group and tell us your favorite small businesses!   Holiday Movies: Elf The Christmas Contract A Christmas Inheritance A Christmas Prince Love Actually  The Holiday The Holidate The Princess Switch 2 Christmas with a Prince   Holiday Books: One Day in December by Josie Silver We Met in December by Rosie Curtis The 12 Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan   Small Business Recs: Grace: Beauty: Indie Lee, Follain, Klur, Luv Scrub, Woo Me Beauty
 Food: Trufflin Hot Sauce,  Red Clay Hot Sauce Jewelry: Nicola Bathie, Holst + Lee, Candyshop Vintage Clothing: Nightire, Worthy T

Today we are joined by Diksha Basu, the author of our November Book Club pick, Destination Wedding. We are so excited to get the inside scoop on this book! Diksha is an author, former actress, and academic from New Delhi, India, and she now divides her time between New York City and Bombay.    We explore what ‘home’ means to her, and how that influenced this book. She shares her unique writing process, starting with character development before plot. We also talk about our favorite character (Tina, who we want to be our BFF) and our least favorite (Marianne) and the inspiration behind them.    More Diksha: @dikshabasu  on twitter @Diksha_basu on insta Bookshop.org to buy her books  Please send her a message if you liked the book! Favorite Indian Authors: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi Favorite Pakistani Authors: Moth Smoke by Moshin Hamid Moni Mohsin Rohinton Mistry Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth   Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more! Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you list

For our November Book Club we read Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu. This book is exactly what we needed as we are both missing travel, meeting new people, and big events like weddings! The story follows Tina Das, a Brooklynite who is traveling to India with her divorced parents and her best friend to attend a cousin’s lavish wedding. Both Tina and her father are looking for love while on their trip, with some pretty mixed results. This book was such a fun read that will have you laughing, and, if you’re like us, wanting to be best friends with the main character.   Also tune in Friday for a bonus episode with the author! Join us in the FB group and let us know what you think of the book, and let’s talk about other book characters you’d want to be best friends with!   Instagram: @duexmoi @claudehome Obsessions: Malin + Goetz Cannabis Candle Aerie Loungewear Quarter Zip Sweater Waffle Sweater Dogs wearing sweaters pj bottoms What We’re Reading: The Cousins  by Karen McManus (out Dec 1) Simmer Down b

Welcome to our holiday gift guide episode with Caroline Moss. Caroline is the host of “Gee Thanks, Just Bought it,” a podcast about all things shopping. Her podcast explores the fun things she and her guests have found on the internet, bought, and loved. We are big fans and think you’ll like it too! We talk about what we’re eyeing on Black Friday, plus gift ideas for moms, best friends, kids, and the office secret santa. We hope this episode gives you some great gift ideas (we certainly checked a few people off our list while recording!).   Mom or Mother in-law Gift Recs: The Revlon One Step Volumizer Barefoot Dreams Cardigan CBD Bath Soaks from Equilibria or Lord Jones Four Seasons Hotel Robe Dr. Bader Face Cream Night Pillow (use code BOP30 for 30% off in November) 10 Foot Phone Charger Mophie Battery   Sister or Best Friend Recs: Olive & June manicure and pedicure full sets Natori Shangri La Robe and Print Fresh Robes Byredo Tree house Candle Le Labo Santal 26 Candle  Brooklyn Candle Company Maison

Elizabeth Holmes, the author of HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style joins us to talk about royal fashion moments and her new book. Elizabeth shares the analytical lens she uses to observe and report on royal style, thinking about the message behind the clothes just as much as their glamour. We dig into the writing process, photo selection, and her favorite royal outfits (and missteps!). She also shares how recent conversations around race and racism have impacted how she covers Meghan and royal style overall.    More Elizabeth: @eholmes HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style Instagram: @dannypeligrino @threebirdsrennovations Obsessions: Alice Chicolini The Undoing on HBO Ilia Mascara What We’re Reading: Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee Anxious People by Fredrick Backman Take a Hint, Dani Brown byTalia Hibbert In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren Pretty Things  by Janelle Brown November Book Club: Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu Sponsor: Night: Grab the Black Friday Sale ear

For today’s episode, in honor of the cooler temps coming our way, we are sharing our favorite TV shows and movies. Hopefully this list will make your winter quarantine a little more entertaining! We have both found that being inside more has led us both to watching a lot more TV than movies. We still stick to our fav genres- Becca almost exclusively watches Rom Coms, and Grace likes anything with secret agents or lawyers, and of course documentaries!  Differences aside, we can both agree that we really do love an old person romance… especially when Nancy Meyers is behind it. We have found a lot of joy in watching our favorite shows from childhood, college, and now to help beat the blues of being stuck inside.   Favorite Childhood Shows: Anne of Green Gables Avonlea Saved by the Bell Gilmore Girls Dawson’s Creek 90210   What we are watching in quarantine: The Politician Love Life Dr. Foster The Morning Show White Collar New Girl Episodes Dead to Me Scandal Never Have I Ever
   Grace’s All Time Favorites: Gilmo

Alexis Daria is a native New Yorker, award winning author, celeb sighting specialist, who wrote our October Book Club pick, You Had Me at Hola. We get the inside scoop on her choice to write about the world of telenovelas and the ways that her own family mirrors the characters in the story. We learn more about the changes happening in the Romance genre from both the publishing and the consumer side. We get a peek into her writing process and how she writes such steamy sex scenes! We also get her favorite open door sex scene book recs, LatinX romance recs, and more.  More Alexis: @alexisdaria  on twitter  @alexisdaria on Instagram alexisdaria.com newsletter sign up on her website The Dance Off Series by Alexis Daria Favorite Open Door Sex Scene Book Recs: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa Uptown Girl Series by Joanna Shupe Girl Meets Duke Series by Tessa Dare Toxic Desire by Robin Lovett  LatinX Romance Writer Recs: Priscilla Oliveras  Mia Sosa Adriana Herrera Zoey Castille Sabrina Sol Sponsor: Hello Fres

For this month’s book club, we read  You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. This is the story of Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, the lead actress of the telenovela “Carmen in Charge.” She plans to swear off men and follow her Leading Lady Plan, but her plan is compromised when she falls for her co-star, Ashton Suarez. They want to keep things private, but the paparazzi makes this impossible, causing a lot of strain on their budding relationship. This was essentially a RomCom about a RomCom (peak Becca genre), and we had a lot to talk about! This book is steamy in all the right places, while still tackling some more serious issues (LatinX underrepresentation in the film/TV world, consent). Though both characters make some arguably bad decisions, and kept some big secrets, we stood by them til the end and really enjoyed this book. We loved this book, and hope you did too, let’s talk more in the FB group! And come back tomorrow for a special bonus episode with the author. Obsessions: Mifa & Co Shower Gel Mifa & Co

This week it’s Grace’s turn in the hot seat. Becca is getting the answers to all of your most burning questions: will she get another cat? What are her trash person tendencies? How does she find new artists? What was working with Amazon the Drop like? We also learn more about her life as the oldest of three sisters, dealing with being laid off, saving habits, her fall skincare routine, and more.   Grace’s Fall Skincare Routine:  Farmacy’s Green Clean Cleansing Balm Klur Gel Cleanser Farmacy Green Toner Biossance Phyto Retinol Shani Darden Retinol Olay Retinol 24 Max - coming out soon! Biossance Lactic Acid Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Dr. Bader Face Cream   Grace’s Favorite Artists: Catherine Howe Hunt Slonem Kathleen Bradford Gina Julian By Melvin G   Obsessions: Love Life on HBO Max Whiled puzzles Instagram: @loveclothblog We’re Reading: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar Now That I Found You by Kristina Forest Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Tretheway Invisib

Disclosure: This episode is NOT sponsored by Bath & Body Works. We wish it was, but sadly that is not the case. This week, we are joined by our “fall correspondent,” Olivia Muenter. A Fall themed episode was highly requested, and we knew Olivia would be the perfect person to join us! Olivia is a writer, editor, and digital content creator. She’s also a massive B&BW candle aficionado. We talk fall recipes, getaways, decor, movies, books and of course.. CANDLES. If you are wondering what all of Olivia’s favorite fall candle scents are, you are in the right place. We have been influenced and ordered Leaves and Flannel while recording the episode. Guess we will see if they live up to the hype!   More Olivia: @oliviamuenter oliviamuenter.com   Bath & Body Works Candle Recs: Leaves Flannel Caramel Pumpkin Swirl Apple Picking Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Balsam Fraser Fir Fresh Linen Vanilla Bean   Olivia’s Fall Book Recs:  City of the Lost by Kelly Armstrong Verity by Colleen Hoover   Olivia’s Fall Movi

Yvanna Cancela represents Nevada’s 10th district in the State Senate, and is the first latina to ever serve in the chamber. Today she joins us to share all the ways you can *still* get involved and make a difference this election. With the election coming SO SOON it’s important to get clarity on the process and the ways that you can donate your time (or money) to help the causes you care about.    As the first ever latina to serve in the State Senate, Yvanna is wildly aware of the gender and racial representation problems our country faces and strives to elevate diverse voices in politics, because that truly is the only way the country will progress toward equality. We discuss how to get involved in battleground states, voting strategies, researching candidates, which races she is watching closely, and why she backs Joe Biden for President.    About Bad on Politics: Bad on Politics is a monthly bonus episode where we invite a guest expert to help us break down a political topic. We get it, politics is confusi

Today’s guest was a huge get for the podcast… JK, it’s Becca! Last December, we took turns interviewing each other and had such a great time doing it that we decided to do it again. So today, Becca is in the hot seat; answering all of your questions about life, career, family, friendships, and quarantine. We also get the RomComPods origin story. Other burning questions: will she ever get a dog? Would she write an Idea of You FanFic? A book about organization? Could she see herself as a full time Rom Com writer? And of course, she lists her favorite books of 2020, favorite podcasts, favorite British chick lit books, Brooklyn restaurants, and more.   Becca’s Top 5 favorite Books of 2020: Homegoing By Yaa Gyasi One to Watch By Kate Stayman-London You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Open Book by Jessica Simpson (Audiobook) A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J Maas   Becca’s Top 3 British Chick Lit:  Who’s that Girl By Mhairi McFarlane Would like to Meet by Rachel Winters You Don’t Have to Say You Love

Today we’re discussing our September book club pick: Majesty (American Royals book #2) by Katharine McGee. We’re also joined by the author herself to get a behind the scenes peek at the writing process, the real-life royal inspiration moments, and gossip on what’s next for this series. We loved this book and can’t wait to talk about it with you. Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group.   More Katharine McGee: @katharinemcgee  katharinemcgee.com   Katharine McGee Book Recs: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld Pretty Things by Janelle Brown Obsessions: Beyond Yoga Bike Shorts Facebook Group SoulCycle at Home John Mulaney Kid Gorgeous Harry Potter Virtual Box Set The Home Edit TV Show Instagram: @thedailytay @sydnesummer @foodloversdiary We’re Reading: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain The Roommate by Rosie Danan October Book Club: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Sponsor: Night: Go to discovernight.com and get 20% off with code BOP20 at checkout. Betterhelp:

We are back to answer more of your career questions! In this episode we dig a little deeper into some of your more specific situations and hear from a listener looking to transition from the dental field into marketing, someone who’s boss refuses to give them feedback, and someone debating what to do about their maternity leave. We also tackle some questions on work and Covid — from motivation to desk decor.   “Finding a new career” book recs: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The Career Code by Hillary Kerr The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker Obsessions: Naadam’s fall cashmere SoulCycle at-home Bike Instagram: @lesrochesrouges @lichennyc @alyssarosenheck We’re Reading: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover Destination Wedding by Dicta Bosu In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo Before She Was Helen by Caroline Cooney Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman The Roommate by Rosie Danan September Book Club: Majesty (American Royals Book 2) by Katharine McGee Sponsor: Betterhelp: Get 10%

It’s finally here - the Grossy Pelosi / Bad on Paper crossover episode (AKA Gross on Paper). Dan Pelosi is the creator behind the Instagram account @grossypelosi and website, danpelosi.com. Today, he joins us to talk all things food! Dan shares his cooking origin story: from a childhood spent in his grandparents kitchen to having his own platform. He runs down a list of meals for when you are trying to impress or just decompress, gives grocery shopping tips, and chats ways to repurpose leftovers. And — of course — a few Bimpy stories along the way!   More Dan: @grossypelosi danpelosi.com Grossery List (for offer codes) donate to Sage donate to Okra Project Purchase Merch on Website     Cookbooks: Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks River Cafe Cookbook - 30th Anniversary Edition Obsessions: VOTE Tees: SW Designs Jess Keys / Alice & Wonder Camilyn Beth Partners Coffee: Brooklyn Roast Show: Episodes (on Netflix) Instagram: @punkpostco @michellearmas007 @karlareed We’re