Adventures with My Forties

Ep. 43 Why I'm Reading Around the World

I am on a quest to read a book by an author from every country in the world in alphabetical order and since my last episode, that project blew up on social media and in two weeks, I'm going to Brazil to speak at a literary festival. I know! This was not on my 2024 Bingo card, but I am embracing and loving this adventure. show notes will be available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com and feel free to email me at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening! 

Ep. 42 The Dark Side of Girl Scout Cookies

It's Girl Scout cookie season here in Pasadena, and Pippa LOVES selling cookies. She learns a lot of great things from the program, but I have a few issues with the way it breeds competition, whips girls into a frenzy over crappy prizes, adds to my mental load, and exposes girls to diet culture. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening!

Ep. 41 Introducing Project 24 in '24

Happy New Year! Another year, another project! Instead of resolutions, I like to concoct lists of projects that I hope to complete during the new year. I got this idea from one of my favorite podcasts, Happier With Gretchen Rubin, and I’ve been doing it since 2022. Here's the 24 in '24 list: 

1. No soda or caffeine. 
2. Take an introductory class at a rock climbing gym.
3. Read 100 books. Bonus points: read at least 25 books for Project Read Around the World.
4. Attend 100 hot yoga classes. This includes the hot pilates classes offered at my studio if I decide to expand my repertoire. Also, my studio offers streaming classes that were recorded during the Covid shutdowns, and if I take those classes outside in the heat while traveling, I’ll count those to my goal.
5. Write the rough draft of my third novel. 
6. Paint a room in our house. Or the front door. Or a mural on the bleak bare wall that’s out back by our lemon tree. Point is: paint something at home.
7. Try 24 new recipes. My goal was to try 23 recipes in 2023 and that didn’t happen, but I’d like to give this another go.
8. Record an audiobook. This is a longterm career goal. Hopefully putting it on this list will motivate me to take the time to learn how to record an audiobook and then invest the time in that project.
9. Get 52 mega nature doses. Taking a neighborhood walk does not count. Things that do count: hikes; beach days; walks through botanical gardens; anything that gets me out of City Mode and into the healing presence of Mother Nature.
10. Make a five year plan. Seems like the time to do this is ripe because I just turned 45, and holy shit, in five years I will turn FIFTY.
11. Complete 24 craft projects. This is another do-ever from 2023. I didn’t finish 23 craft projects last year, but I had fun trying. Let’s see what happens this year.
12. Help the kids prepare a family meal once a month. Each kid gets to pick a recipe and prepare it for dinner or breakfast. Pray for me.
13. Plan a family trip to the Grand Canyon. I’ve learned that the best months to visit are March-May and that hotels can get booked a year in advance, so I want to do the research now so I can make it happen in 2025.
14. Get 24 minutes of fresh air every day. Last year, Gretchen Rubin challenged her community of podcast listeners to get 23 minutes of fresh air, and I really liked that idea, but I never got momentum on it. (Probably because my dad was in the ICU for 10 days in February.) I’d like to do it this year, and so far, it’s been a helpful reminder to get my butt outside. Fresh air feeds the soul.
15. Tap dance 20 times. I think this was on my list in 2022? I always imagine myself tap dancing. Damnit, let’s make it happen.
16. Walk an average of 10,000 steps/day. On days that I practice hot yoga, I typically get 7000-8000 steps. This goal has been motivating me to walk extra to make up the deficit on hot yoga days.
17. Record 25 podcast episodes.
18. Create a TikTok 100 weekdays in a row (though if I actually make a weekend TikTok, that will count toward the streak)
19. Visit the Gamble House.
20. Take monthly family portraits.
21. Learn how to make balloon animals.
22. Visit The Broad (cool art museum in downtown L.A.) 
23. Track time spent sitting vs. time spent standing for a month.
24. Joy Tracking! Wherein I keep track of things that boost my wellness and happiness but are not part of this project (e.g. boardgames played; movies watched; new places visited)

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thank you for listening! 

Ep. 40 Bitches Love Witches

It's October and nearly Halloween, and this year, I'm thinking a lot about witches. People tend to think of witches as evil but I love stories that reclaim witches and allow them to be good, strong and powerful. Why must a woman who practices magic be considered evil? Is the idea of the evil witch in the woods just another tool for controlling women, keeping them in line and fitting into the patriarchy's mold? Let's save the witches from patriarchal stereotypes because bitches love witches.

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com.

Ep. 39 Why Do Women Love True Crime?

This week, I explore the question, Why do women love true crime? I myself listen to true crime podcasts and often wonder, Why do I love listening to these stories? And perhaps, more importantly: does my interest in true crime suggest some sort of moral deficiency on my part? Spoiler alert: I think my interest in true crime comes from a place of empathy and empowerment.

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening! 

Ep. 38 It’s Fall, Y’All!

Autumn is here! First, I reflect on ways to welcome the change of seasons. Then, since it's autumn, of course I need a new bucket list - but I swear, I first did some soul searching to make sure my fall bucket list would serve my happiness. After I created my fall bucket list, I created my Fall JOMO List: a list of all the things I will NOT be doing this fall. 

 

Shownotes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com

 

Ep. 37 Rebuilding My Mind-Body Connection

This week, I talk about my mind-body connection, or lack thereof, and how hot yoga and the enneagram are helping me rebuild my relationship with my body. Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Thanks for listening! 

Ep. 36 The PathTo Enlightenment Is in The Elementary School Carline

Every school day, when I drop my kids off, someone in the car line is a jerk or idiot or both. And this used to rile me up and I'd feel outraged at the injustices of car line. but recently I realized: what if the path to enlightenment is in car line? What if I stop letting other people steal my serenity over dumb things like car line? Someone is going to be rude and block the car line and make everyone wait while their prince or princess takes an absurdly long time to get out of the vehicle. I don't have to let this rudeness snatch my serenity.  

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com

 

Thanks for listening! 

Ep. 35 When You Get Sucked Into Other Folks’ Agendas

Hello! This week, I'm talking about Human Giver Syndrome and the ways women get sucked into doing work for other people's organizations. I talk about ways I got hijacked by other folks' agendas into doing volunteer work that doesn't actually align with my values and beliefs. Specifically, I'm looking at AYSO, Girl Scout cookies and the frenzied hell that is cookie season, and the PTA membership drive. 

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. 

Ep. 34 Setting My Intentions For The 2023-24 School Year

I'm back! It's been over a year, and I finally have the time, energy and bandwidth to record a podcast episode. How are you? It's been too long. In this episode, I catch you up on the past year of my life. Long story short: I volunteered for too many things, and then my dad had some serious health issues. This led to some epic burnout, so my intentions for the upcoming school year are to (a) volunteer way less and (b) take the time to heal. 

 

Shownotes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com

 

p.s. You are awesome!