It has been a difficult start to the year. Between navigating the emotions of an empty nest and processing the intense events unfolding locally in Minneapolis, the "weeds" of life feel particularly overgrown this week. In this episode, we discuss the feeling of living through a firehose of crisis events and how to maintain your mental well-being when the news cycle feels relentless.

We explore the reality of collective trauma and why it often feels like we don’t know where to look or how to help. More importantly, we talk about the antidote to this anxiety: taking action. However, action must be balanced with grace. You cannot do it all, and that is okay. Finally, we touch on the toxicity of social media scrolling during difficult times and why real-world human connection is the wonder we need right now.

Key Topics:

1. The Reality of Crisis Fatigue: Managing the overwhelm of local and global news.
2. Action as an Antidote: How doing one small thing can lower anxiety, provided you accept you cannot fix everything.
3. The Trap of the Scroll: Why social media often fuels anger rather than connection and how to step back.
4. Real-World Connection: The importance of "touching grass" and interacting with actual neighbors to restore your faith in humanity.

Resources:

1. Join the Women of Wonder community: A safe space for connection without the algorithms.
2. ➡️Join Our community: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder

Is the war between Gen X and Gen Z real, or is it just the algorithm at work? In this episode, we explore the "generational divide" and question whether the internet is manufacturing conflict to keep us distracted.

We address the surprising feedback from our first episode and discuss why short social media clips often misrepresent the true relationship between mothers and daughters. From there, we move into a deeper conversation about parenting transparency, specifically how Gen X parents are choosing to be honest about financial mistakes like the housing bubble rather than hiding them.

We also examine how the political landscape—specifically the 2016 election—shifted the way Gen Z views systemic issues versus personal responsibility. Plus, we share some laughs about 2016 makeup trends, the relevance of Vogue magazine, and overcoming driving anxiety in the snow.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The "Fake" Conflict: Why social media pushes a narrative that generations must fight each other.
2. Parenting with Honesty: Moving away from "because I said so" and discussing adult financial realities with kids.
3. Systemic vs. Personal: How Gen Z views hardship as a system failure, while Gen X often views it as a personal hurdle to overcome.
4. The 2016 Shift: How the political climate forced a change in how we discuss morality and privilege.
5. Cultural Time Capsules: A look back at heavy contouring, "Instagram eyebrows," and why media literacy matters now more than ever.

If you are about to buy a new planner or sign up for a gym membership because you feel like you need to "fix" yourself, press pause. In this episode, I explain why the commercialized version of New Year’s resolutions is often just a trap designed to make you feel like you aren't good enough.

I spent years (and thousands of dollars) trying to organize and plan my way into being a "better" person, but it never led to lasting happiness. Today, I’m sharing the alternative that actually works: a "More of/Less of" audit inspired by a financial strategy from my friend Brittany Ross.

We also discuss why you cannot "curate" joy but must intentionally look for it, and I share a personal story about a 24-hour hotel stay with high school friends that taught me why you shouldn't try to manufacture deep connections.

In this episode:

1. The Resolution Trap: Why the pressure to "change" is often a sales tactic.
2. The "More of/Less of" List: A simple method to audit your life based on feelings, not productivity.
3. Body Intelligence: How to use the "chest tap" to identify what true motivation feels like physically.
4. Friendship Reality: Why sitting in a hotel room with old friends beats an elaborate vacation with new ones.

Timestamps:

1. 0:00 - Intro: Why I Hate New Year’s Resolutions
2. 0:46 - The "Not Good Enough" Scam
3. 02:14 - I Spent Thousands on Planners (And Failed)
4. 07:52 - The "Finance Rule" That Fixed My Life (Brittany Ross)
5. 11:37 - How To Audit Your Feelings (The Chest Tap)
6. 14:40 - Why "Mindset Shifts" Are Often Oversimplified
7. 18:34 - The Hotel Story: What True Friendship Looks Like
8. 23:55 - How To Join The "Women of Wonder" Community

Join the Community: The Women of Wonder community is where we leave the judgment at the door. If you want more laughter, less pressure, and a place to celebrate yourself judgment-free, join us here: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder

he holidays are supposed to be the "most wonderful time of the year," but what happens when everything familiar has changed?

In this episode, I share my personal experience of navigating our first holiday season after moving cross-country. We are facing the unique challenge of welcoming our college-aged kids back to a house that isn't their childhood home.

I open up about the "weeds" of this season: the pressure to recreate old feelings in a new place, the jealousy I feel when scrolling through social media, and the reality that my kids don't have their usual friends or cars here.

But we also talk about finding the "wonder." We discuss how to hold two opposing emotions at once—like gratitude and sadness—without letting one cancel the other out. Plus, I share how we are embracing the Minnesota winter, exploring outdoor holiday markets, and even starting unlikely new traditions like going to an NBA game.

If you are feeling like a fish out of water this season, this episode is for you.

Online Community Our Women of Wonder community is a safe place to say the quiet stuff out loud, free from judgment. Women helping other women is a tried-and-true approach for empowerment and success, not to mention laughter and love. W.o.W. offers continuous support and resources.

➡️ Join Our community: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder

Are Warner Bros and movies as we know them over? We break down the Netflix vs. Paramount acquisition battle, the death of movie theaters, and why we are going back to buying DVDs.

Full Summary:

In this episode of the Wonder in the Weeds podcast , we dive into the chaotic news surrounding the potential acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Is Netflix about to buy HBO Max, or will Paramount Skydance force a hostile takeover?.

We explore what these massive mergers mean for the future of cinema—not just for the stars, but for the crew members, writers, and artists who actually make the films. We also discuss the "Disneyfication" of AMC theaters , why original movies like Ryan Coogler's Sinners are becoming rare risks , and why the era of streaming has us returning to physical media and DVDs.

In This Episode:

• The Merger Chaos: Understanding the Netflix bid vs. the Paramount Skydance hostile takeover.
• The Theater Crisis: How block-booking by giants like Disney is pushing indie films out of theaters.
• Worker Protection: Why consolidation hurts the "below the line" workers (grips, lighting, makeup) most.
• Digital Ownership: Why streaming services deleting shows like Gilmore Girls proves you need to own physical copies.

⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: Is this a Solo Podcast Now?

04:47 The News: Netflix vs. Paramount Skydance Explained

05:59 What is a "Hostile Takeover"?

08:38 The Death of Theaters: The Disney/AMC Monopoly

13:09 How Mergers Kill Jobs (It’s Not Just Actors)

17:31 Can Original Movies Survive? (The Sinners Case Study)

22:29 Why We Are Going Back to DVDs & Physical Media

33:35 Wonder of the Week: Embracing Winter & Nostalgia

Mentioned in this Video:

• Movies: Sinners (Ryan Coogler/Michael B. Jordan) , The Godfather.
• Companies: Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, Paramount Skydance, Disney, AMC.
• Sources: Morning Brew.

#WarnerBros #Netflix #PhysicalMedia #Cinema #FilmIndustry #Podcast

It feels like the world is on fire right now. If you are trying to raise kids through political disorder, crisis, and constant bad news, you are likely feeling overwhelmed. In this episode of Wonder in the Weeds, we’re talking about how to parent when everything feels unstable—and why the answer isn't on your phone.

STOP DOOMSCROLLING.

The news cycle is designed to keep us anxious, but it doesn't help us parent better. Today, I’m sharing why I believe the "School Safety Drill" generation (Gen Z) is actually our greatest source of hope, and how we can learn resilience from them instead of just trying to protect them.

We discuss:

• Why "Parenting Experts" don't have all the answers for this specific timeline.
• The difference between raising "Little Kids" vs. "Adult Kids" right now.
• How to opt-out of the 24/7 news cycle without being ignorant.
• Why Gen Z's approach to LGBTQ+ and inclusivity is better than ours.
• 
  

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Parenting through World Disorder

1:24 - The Gen X vs. Gen Z Perspective

3:28 - Why I Don’t Give "Standard" Parenting Advice

5:39 - Finding Wonder (When You’re Exhausted)

9:13 - The Resilience of the Next Generation

11:29 - Put The Phone Down (The Reality Check)

13:09 - What We Can Learn From Our Kids

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Welcome to Wonder in the Weeds, where we explore how to live, love, and grow alongside grief, change, and the wild messiness of being human. Hosted by Christie Ritz King.

#Parenting #MentalHealth #GenZ #Anxiety #ParentingAdvice #WonderInTheWeeds #ChristieRitzKing #Resilience

Online Community

Our Women of Wonder community is a safe place to say the quiet stuff out loud, free from judgment.

Women helping other women is a tried-and-true approach for empowerment and success, not to mention laughter and love. W.o.W. offers continuous support and resources, plus access to Dr. Cristie, for a low-cost membership.

➡️Join Our community: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder

Welcome to a very special episode and potentially the start of a new series I’m calling "XYZ". Why? Because I am a Gen X mom, and today I’m sitting down with my Gen Z daughter, Faith King.

We decided to leave this conversation raw and unfiltered mic bumps, dog snores, and all because that is real life. We’re digging into the weeds of the generational divide, debating everything from the "latchkey kid" mentality versus the "hovering parent" model to the massive events that shaped us differently, like 9/11 and COVID.

We also get into the pressure of the "Turkey Timer" that feeling that there’s a little button waiting to pop up and tell you it’s time to get married, buy a house, and have babies. Spoiler alert: Faith reminds me that for her generation, the housing bubble and the economy have moved those goalposts significantly.

Finally, we wrap up with a "Wonder" that surprised us both: the kids are putting down their screens and bringing back Cat's Cradle.

In this episode:

The "XYZ" Dynamic: Can a Gen X mom really be friends with her Gen Z kids?

Shaping Events: How the Challenger explosion and 9/11 compare to growing up during a global lockdown.

The "Turkey Timer": Why the old timeline for adulthood doesn't apply to Gen Z.

The Wonder: A simple piece of string is winning the battle against technology.

If you’re Gen Z and you felt seen by this episode, or if you’re a parent trying to understand your adult kids, please share this with a friend!

Moving across the country right as the last child leaves the nest is a recipe for an identity crisis. In this episode, we explore the "weeds" of major life changes the confusion, the loneliness, and the existential dread and how to find small moments of wonder within them.

I share my personal experience of moving from New Jersey to Minnesota and the trap of trying to replicate my old life in a new place. I discuss a specific "tale of two gym classes"—a Yin Yoga class where I tried to force familiarity and failed, versus a Pilates class where I entered with zero expectations and found a new passion.

If you are struggling with an empty nest, a big move, or just feeling lost in a season of transition, this episode is about letting go of what was to make space for what is.

In this episode, we cover:

[01:00:25] The "Booktrovert" shirt and selling a new city to my son.

[01:02:25] The "Weeds": Moving cross-country with an empty nest.

[01:06:57] The identity crisis: Who am I without the daily job of mothering?.

[01:08:57] Are we allowed to focus on personal struggles when the world is in chaos?.

[01:13:26] Establishing new routines (and getting lost on the way home).

[01:19:18] The Yoga Story: The danger of trying to replicate the past.

[01:31:05] The Pilates Story: The power of low expectations.

[01:33:55] Summary: Recalibrating expectations to find the wonder.

Join the Online Community Our Women of Wonder community is a safe place to say the quiet stuff out loud, free from judgment. Women helping other women is a tried-and-true approach for empowerment and success, not to mention laughter and love. W.o.W. offers continuous support and resources, plus access to Dr. Cristie, for a low-cost membership.

➡️ Join Our community: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder

#EmptyNest #LifeTransitions #MentalHealth #WonderInTheWeeds #Moving #PersonalGrowth