WE ARE BACK, BABY! Season Three has officially begun, and we are full of chalance and ready to go. We have an important announcement to make (subtle nod to Taylor Swift there, Messy Besties): we are back to every other Thursday new episode releases. We tried every week last season, and we felt like we were podcasting endlessly until we die, so we decided to scale it back. Aren't you proud of us for recognizing our limits and holding boundaries?!

We're kicking things off with a brain dump, and Janice (of Friends lore) makes an appearance. Then, we're unpacking how Cayce's teeth-grinding led to a potentially life-changing question:

What do you do to waste your time?

Woof. Come with us as we embark on a journey of intentional time-wasting (a challenge for every Eldest Daughter!), and then pay homage to the late, great Dolly Parton.

It's real, it's funny, and sometimes it's real funny. But also, it's no joke! Rate, review, comment, and follow along as we bring The Normal Mess to the masses! We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

The Normal Mess returns for Season 3 on October 8 (that's a mere week from today, Messy Besties!), but before we return with our full chalance and break down more tofu, we thought we could share The Normal Mess lexicon with our Galentines! So, here's a permission slip for you to shed your FOPO and mindmouth with us.

If those two sentences sounded in whole or in part like gibberish, this episode is for you! Actually, if you understood every single word, this episode is for you! That's right: we are providing a rapid-fire definition for our most used inside jokes and phrases so that even our Messy Besties who are not OGs can laugh and nod along with us as we muddy our way through The Normal Mess.

Mark your calendars and tell all your friends: THE NORMAL MESS RETURNS OCTOBER 8. And we are back to an every-other-Thursday-release of new episodes this season, in an effort to avoid podcasting every single week until we die. Love you, miss you, see you in a WEEK!

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

What is "small self," and why is it the key to joy and the antidote to anxiety? In this Mini Mess, we're exploring what is happening in our brains and bodies when we experience awe and its close cousin, wonder. Our takeaway? Sometimes you just need to feel small!

Until we're back with full episodes (soon, Messy Besties - soon!), we're delivering a snippet of some of our favorite previous episodes. If this one resonated with you, you can find the full episode in Season Two, Episode 9: It's a Wonder-full Life!

And in the meantime, you know the drill: Send us to everyone you know!

Instagram & TikTok: @TheNormalMess⁩

thenormalmess ⁨@gmail.com⁩

It's... (sing it along with Cayce) The Normal Mini Mess! And we are bringing back one of our favorite all-time episodes/discussions. Who's the Ann, and who's the Leslie?! It's not just hair color. Ashley's a steamroller with zero chill. Cayce's the mellow, measured cool gal who keeps everyone sane. And together, we're... celebrating one of our most treasured topics: female friendships.

If you needed a nudge to call or text a messy bestie, let this be it. We need each other, especially when the "Mess" of the Normal Mess overpowers the "Normal." Call your gal pals. Tell them you love them. Give them an unhinged compliment. Make it weird.

We'll see you soon for the return of The Normal Mess. But in the mean time, catch the full episode in Season 1, Episode 8: The Galentines Reimagine Power Moves.

And, you know... follow us and all the things. We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

When is enough enough?! We constantly feel the drive to do more and be more, but where does that Cult of Busyness come from, and is it wildly overrated?

In this throwback to our Season 1 Finale, we officially grant you Permission to STOP, and this time, we bring an actual neuroscientist (hey, Dr. Emily Cross! We <3 you!) to explain why breaks are not only normal, but critical!

We're coming back soon, Messy Besties! But in the mean time, go follow us, will you? Go ahead - we'll wait. Click the "Follow" button on Spotify (it's free!) or the "+" button on Apple Podcasts (still free!), and then send us to your besties. We've got a lot more coming your way in Season 3!

You can catch the full conversation in Season One, Episode 10: The Messy Besties Talk Neuroscience!

It's real and it's funny, and sometimes, it's real funny. But also, it's no joke! Rate, review, comment, and follow us (really though, do it!) as we bring The Normal Mess to the masses!

We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

Got 7 minutes for us to get salty about a topic that is all over our LinkedIn feed and really grinds our gears?! Let's talk "Executive Presence," shall we? We are here to proclaim: IT'S A LIE.

If (white) men have it and women (and people of color) don't, there's only one conclusion we can draw: it's a nonsense categorization intended to exclude. Your paper doll has all the presence she needs, so can we collectively agree to stop trying to make her fit some square-shouldered archetype that wasn't built with her in mind? And, let's just keep repeating to ourselves:

Fit the role, not the shoes.

The Normal Mess returns in September, but in the meantime, we're delivering some normal Mini Messes to see you through. Why? Because sometimes all you need is a voice note from your Messy Besties! If you want the full conversation, you can find it in Season Two, Episode Three: Come As You (Mostly) are.

It's real and it's funny, and sometimes, it's real funny. But also, it's no joke! Rate, review, comment, and follow us (seriously, go do those things. We'll wait.) as we bring The Normal Mess to the masses!

We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

We're back for a Mini Mess to encourage you to bring the whole of your beautiful "muchness" to work! Why do we pretend that our work selves and our life selves are two different people? What is this, "Severance"?! (Ashley is watching it during this season break. It's on AppleTV. Go watch it, but brace yourself to see Ben from Parks and Rec in a very different light.)

It's apparently a hot take these days to say you should bring the whole of who you are to work, but we argue it's the only way to go. We think your whole self deserves to be seen and seated at the table. The table, and you, are better for it!

Season 3 is coming in September, but until then, we're delivering some Normal Mini Messes to see you through. Why? Because sometimes all you need is a voice note from your Messy Besties! If you want the full conversation, you can find it in Season Two, Episode Three: Come As You (Mostly) Are.

It's real and it's funny, and sometimes, it's real funny. But also, it's no joke! Rate, review, comment, and follow us (seriously, go do those things. We'll wait.) as we bring The Normal Mess to the masses!

We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com

It's Galentine's Day in July, Messy Besties! We're ladies celebrating ladies... and breakfast foods! Join us for a quick spark of joy as we pay homage to the uniquely incredible phenomenon that is female friendship.

Who's the Anne, who's the Leslie, and who came up with the Leslie-isms that made the show the warm hug it was?! All we know is: we might be Swifties and Pohleroids, but in our heart of hearts, we are mega fangirls for Mike Schur.

Season 3 is coming in September, but until then, we're delivering some Normal Mini Messes to see you through. Why? Because sometimes all you need is a voice note from your Messy Besties! If you want the full conversation, you can find it in Season 1, Episode 8: The Galentines Reimagine Power Moves!

It's real and it's funny, and sometimes, it's real funny. But also, it's no joke! Rate, review, comment, and follow us (seriously, go do all of those things. We'll wait.) as we bring The Normal Mess to the masses!

We'd love to hear from you:

Instagram & TikTok: @thenormalmess

thenormalmess@gmail.com