In this uplifting holiday episode, Betina and Jen make a bold declaration: they're choosing celebration over survival this Christmas season, regardless of what hardships they're carrying. Through honest conversations about their far-from-perfect lives, they explore why creating beauty and gathering with intention are essential, especially when times are tough. They challenge the cultural narrative that honors past pain more than present possibility, refusing to let trauma steal the magic of the moment. The episode offers permission to those who are struggling, reminding listeners that needing warmth and light isn't a weakness. From decorating to cooking to simply showing up fully for festive moments, they reframe holiday traditions as acts of defiance against darkness, proving that joy doesn't require perfect circumstances, just an intentional choice to amplify what's good even while acknowledging what's hard.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intros

02:59 Temp Check: What’s your temperature for letting yourself enjoy the holidays fully?

15:53 Backstory: Learning that joy and hardship coexist and that the holidays are where we choose to amplify the joy

34:20 Life Focus: Recognizing that gathering, decorating, creating moments of beauty is a profound spiritual practice; honoring that if you’re struggling, you especially deserve to experience the warmth and light that this season offers; choosing to live during the holidays, not just survive them

49:34 Recipes: Gather around this: Light and warmth, something that feels how the season tastes

Recipes:

The Ham Dish (Potato, Onion and Ham au Gratin)

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a baking dish

Heat 3 tbsp unsalted butter and cook 5 medium onions (sliced thin) until translucent (2 min)

Peel and slice 5 large potatoes into thin rounds, rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly

Layer ½ of the potatoes in baking dish in overlapping rows, top with half onions and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg

Cover onion layer completely with sliced ham and top with remaining onions and potatoes

Pour 1 ¼ cup heavy cream over top, then season salt pepper, nutmeg

Bake 1 ½ hours while basting w/ additional ¼ cup cream, then tip pan and baste with cream from bottom, keeping potatoes moist on top

Cook until potatoes have absorbed most of moisture and are very tender and golden brown on top

Music Credits:

0:00 “For My Good” - AFTR

14:35 “Xmas is Coming” - Sture Zetterberg

33:41 “Jingle Bells (LoFi Version)” - Jobii

49:08 “Caribbean Christmas” - Guustavv

60:20 “Cold Outside” - Gregory David

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We're quick to offer grace to everyone else, but when it comes to ourselves? That's where we quickly pump the brakes. In this Season of Love episode, we look inwardly and ask: what would it look like to treat ourselves with the same compassion we extend to others? Jen shares a tender letter she wrote to herself in the early days of sobriety, written from the woman she ultimately became. Betina opens up about wrestling with the concept of "deserving" rest when her body is screaming for it, revealing how we've been conditioned to earn basic needs and kindness for ourselves. We explore how becoming your own safe place might be one of the most radical acts of love you can practice. If you've ever denied yourself grace while freely giving it away to everyone and everything around you, this conversation will challenge you to finally write that love letter you've been withholding from the person who needs it most: you.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intros

2:32 Temp Check: Self-Compassion Temperature - What’s your I deserve grace Temp?

15:55 Backstory: Learning that loving yourself isn’t selfish, but it’s a foundation

28:53 Life Focus: Recognizing self-compassion as strength, not weakness; learning to be your own safe place

56:56 Recipes: I deserve this dish: A no-guilt indulgence

Recipes:

Betina had a warm Marie Callender’s Apple pie à la mode

Jen had butternut squash soup with a baguette that she ate in as many ways as possible

Music Credits:

0:00 “For My Good” - AFTR

14:35 “The Lone Traveler” - Will Harrison

28:27 “1999” - SOOP

47:05 “High Energy Bad Attitude” - Bonkers Beat Club

60:53 “Safe and Warm” - Stonekeepers

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In this refreshingly open and honest episode, Betina and Jen tackle self-love through the lens of body acceptance, sharing stories that range from funny to heartbreaking. Betina recounts her culture-shock moment at a Midwest "club" where her Thanksgiving dinner outfit left her overdressed. Jen celebrates Betina's unshakable confidence regardless of pant size, contrasting it with communities where self-assurance feels like a foreign language. Through vulnerable admissions about their own harsh self-criticism, they challenge the idea that bodies are projects requiring constant fixing rather than homes deserving love and gratitude. The conversation moves from comparison culture to genuine self-acceptance, exploring why treating ourselves with the same kindness we'd offer a struggling friend feels so impossibly hard, yet is so necessary for showing up fully in life.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intros

2:23 Temp Check: Self-Love vs. Self-Criticism Temp - What’s your temp for how comfortable you are in celebrating your body exactly the way it is right now?

15:15 Back Story: Learning to look at yourself with gratitude instead of a to-do list. Think about times when you found yourself being crueler to yourself than you’d be to a friend.

38:20 Life Focus: Understanding that self-love isn’t conditional on perfection; recognizing your body as a home, not a project; celebrating what your body has carried you through.

57:58 Recipes: Body Gratitude Bowl - Food that honors what your body needs

Recipes:

Betina’s Loaded Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup

Chop bacon then cook in dutch oven remove some of the oil droppings

Chop white and green onions and saute in the remaining bacon droppings

Peel and chop potatoes

Add to pot with onion and boil in chicken stock

Wash and chop broccoli and carrots

Add to pot just before potatoes get fork tender also add garlic paste

Make cheese roux

In a pot add butter and all purpose flour

Using milk and cheese build up the cheese sauce and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika

By now stock should have somewhat cooked down

Add cheese sauce

Mix add heavy cream if necessary

Serve topped what bacon bits and a toasted bread if desired

Jen’s Greek bowl

Chic peas

Tomatoes

Cucumber

olives

Rice

Tahini or hummus

Feta cheese (optional)

Served with flat bread

Music Credits:

0:00 “For My Good” - AFTR

14:45 “Umbele” - Ebo Krdum

37:59 “Back in My Bag, Again” - Iso Indies

46:24 “Chase” - Say3.2

63:34 “Umbele” - Ebo Krdum

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info@whatsthetemppod.com