Jessica is back from a week at AFA Nationals in St. George watching Gabby's softball team battle through four games in 102-degree heat (and a home run!), while Kelly's son Wes had his own big weekend in Chicago — also with a home run of his own. The sisters dig into the realities of travel ball season, why some kids start losing interest in the sports they grew up playing, and whether kids today need "real jobs" or if summer chores and creative challenges do the trick. Plus: how Jessica used Claude to build a custom writing workbook for her son who hates writing, summer reading picks (hello, Lord of the Flies), and a full true-crime detour into Netflix's The Crash that gets spicy fast.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Surviving four softball games in one day at 102 degrees (and Gabby's clutch home run)
• Wes's home run weekend at a massive Chicago tournament
• Why some kids start pulling away from sports they once loved
• The "should teens have summer jobs" debate — sports vs. work ethic
• Turning summer into "worker season": chores, reading, and creative projects
• A flag football carpool experiment in independence (yes, public buses were involved)
• Using Claude AI to build a custom 60-page writing workbook for a reluctant writer
• Prepping for honors math placement and tackling Lord of the Flies before fall
• A deep dive into Netflix's The Crash — the parents, the prosecution, and all the theories
• A tease for their next true-crime watch, Maternal Instinct
• Getting nostalgic over Off Campus and what it brings up about their own college years
• What they're reading this summer (hi, The Bollywood Bride)

Shows & Documentaries Mentioned:

• The Crash (Netflix, 2021)
• Mean Girl Murders (Hulu)
• Maternal Instinct
• Off Campus

Books Mentioned:

• The Bollywood Bride
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Connect With Us:

• 🌐 Visit us at chasingbrighter.com
• 📲 Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for giveaways, insights, and behind-the-scenes fun
• 💌 Get our Newsletter

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It's officially a wrap on Season 5. In this finale, Jessica and Kelly look back at the whole arc of the season — from rest and reset in February, to choosing real over perfect in March, through exhaustion and invisible labor in April, identity and worthiness in May, and joy and presence in June. They get honest about what actually shifted in each of them this season, why they expanded the show beyond "midlife" to all women, and what they're each carrying into summer. Plus — two free downloads, a Brighter Move from each host, and an invitation to do one thing this summer that's just about living.

In This Episode:

• A look back at the Season 5 arc: Rest & Reset (Feb), Real Over Perfect (March), exhaustion and invisible labor (April), identity and worthiness (May), and joy and presence (June)
• Why they shifted the show from "midlife women" to all women, after hearing from listeners in their 30s who didn't feel like the audience
• Kelly's biggest shift: moving from "what's wrong with me" thinking to "what do I need right now" — and how that language change lightens the load
• How Kelly's gone from needing months to recognize burnout to catching it within weeks
• Jessica's biggest shift: reclaiming "Athlete Jessica" after the slow fade that came with motherhood, and what going back to Orange Theory gave her
• Jessica's honesty about body dysmorphia, posting outfits of the day anyway, and not giving her inner critic the last word
• Why Jessica's GLP-1 journey is a tool, not a shortcut — letting her body catch up to years of consistent work
• The "May-sumber" phenomenon and why May always seems to be the month everything piles on
• Reframing "stuck" as "in process" — and why the questions you're asking now are proof you're moving
• Two free downloads for summer: the Choose Your Own Adventure Summer Planning Template and a summer fashion freebie
• A shared invitation: put one thing on your calendar this summer that's purely about living, not achieving

Quotable Moment:

"You can reclaim yourself in small choices over time. It's not a dramatic thing — it's the accumulated decisions where you keep choosing the person you're becoming, in small little pieces." — Jessica

Brighter Moves:

Kelly's Brighter Move: Name one thing this season that shifted in you — a question you're asking differently, a choice you wouldn't have made before, a moment you were more present for. Write it down, because it matters.

Jessica's Brighter Move: Put one thing on your calendar this week that's purely about living — not building, not achieving, just living.

This Month's Freebies 🎉

Two free downloads all June long:

• Choose Your Own Adventure Summer Planning Template — big anchors, small rituals, your whole summer in one doc
• Summer Style Freebie — for the fashion lovers

Grab both at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

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Connect with us:

• Website & newsletter: chasingbrighter.com
• Instagram: @chasingbrighter

Kelly kicks things off with an epic (and hilarious) saga of a missing AirPod that turns a weekend getaway into a full-blown investigation — trash cans, lint traps, and all. From there, Jess and Kelly riff on how far audio tech has come, then dive into something they're both obsessed with lately: using AI to tackle home projects. Jess shares how she used Claude to plan a budget-friendly bathroom refresh (cabinet paint job, new light fixture, desert-themed wall art), and Kelly shares how she used it to completely rearrange her home office without buying a single new thing. They wrap up with simple, affordable ways to bring more joy into your space — plus a reminder to grab their free Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet before summer kicks off.

• Kelly's two-day hunt for a missing AirPod (and where it finally turned up)
• A quick trip down memory lane on how far wireless audio has come
• Budget headphone hacks for everyday use vs. real AirPods for calls
• Jess's $250 bathroom refresh: painting cabinets, new lighting, and the step-by-step cure time for polyurethane
• Using AI (Claude) for home decor inspiration and room layout planning
• Where to find affordable, non-copyrighted wall art (Unsplash, Etsy, IKEA frames)
• Same-day printing hacks using Walgreens and Capital One Shopping discount codes
• Why small changes — like swapping a light fixture or hanging new art — can completely shift how a room feels
• A reminder about the free Summer 2026 Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet

• Unsplash (unsplash.com) — free, non-copyrighted photos for wall art
• Etsy — affordable printable art downloads
• Walgreens same-day photo printing
• Capital One Shopping — for promo codes/discounts
• IKEA — affordable frames

Don't forget to grab our Summer 2026 Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet — a one-pager with trend recommendations in a fun "try it, skip it, already living it" format. 👉 Sign up at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

Find us on socials and TikTok: @ChasingBrighter

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Joy isn't something that just happens when the circumstances are right — it's something you have to practice, protect, and sometimes fight for. In this episode, Jessica and Kelly unpack the real difference between happiness and joy, why so many women struggle to fully inhabit the good moments in their lives, and what it actually looks like to choose joy as a daily practice. From the fear of letting yourself feel good, to guilt, to the mental habit of "half-leaving" a beautiful moment — this conversation is honest, grounded, and full of the kind of realness you don't find on a greeting card. Plus: joy sprinkles, banana bread matcha, and a brighter move you can try today.

What We Cover:

• Why happiness and joy are not the same thing — and why the difference actually matters
• Joy as a practice: how to orient toward it deliberately instead of waiting for it to arrive
• The fear of joy — that anxious waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop feeling when things are going well
• Why women in high-efficiency mode can lose access to joy and how to rebuild that channel
• The guilt dimension: is it okay to feel this much joy when others are struggling?
• Research on joy: people with more access to genuine joy tend to be more generous and more present
• Real-life joy in action: Jessica's lunch with Gabby, Dom, and Gio, bathroom renovation chaos, and banana bread matcha
• What "half-leaving" a good moment looks like — and how to stay in it
• The 5% better question: small, accessible ways to invite more joy in even on hard days
• Brighter Moves: a joy practice you can start this week

Brighter Moves: Kelly: Name one thing that genuinely brings you joy — specific, personal, not aspirational. Ask yourself: when did I last do this? When can I do it next? Then make it real.

Jessica: Practice staying in a good moment this week. When something genuinely lovely is happening — a conversation, a meal, a quiet evening — try to stay in it instead of half-leaving. Add 10 more seconds of presence. That's the practice.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• June download: Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet — chasingbrighter.com/newsletter
• Smartless podcast (Jessica's go-to pick-me-up)
• Banana bread matcha at Starbucks (highly endorsed)

Next Week: Season 5 Finale — Jessica and Kelly share what this season actually changed for them. Not just the content — the real shifts. Plus a summer invitation you don't want to miss.

Connect with Us: Follow us on Instagram @chasingbrighter | Blog & show notes: chasingbrighter.com | Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

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It's officially summer reading season — and Kelly and Jess are giving you their full list. From spicy hockey romance to psychological thrillers, cozy small-town reads to historical fiction, there is genuinely something here for every kind of reader. Plus: why reading might be one of the most underrated wellness habits of all, and how to romanticize your reading life this summer even if you're only sneaking in 10 minutes at a time.

In This Episode:

• The science behind reading as a wellness tool — including a study showing it reduces psychological stress by 68% in as little as six minutes
• Kelly's reminder that June is the month of joy — and that reading is one of the easiest ways to romanticize your everyday life
• Jess's confession: she always reads the book before the show drops, and she will always be disappointed by the adaptation. Every time. No regrets.
• The Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy — Jess's top spicy vacation rec (first book: The Deal; now streaming on Prime Video)
• Kelly's best beach bag pick: Typewriter Beach — a 1957 historical fiction set in Hollywood and Carmel by the Sea
• Jess on Freida McFadden's The Boyfriend — twisty, bingeable, and won't emotionally wreck you
• Kelly's pick for the book you'll lose an entire weekend to: Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett (The Help)
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke — a contemporary fiction born out of the "tradwife" trend, perfect for readers who want something with a little more edge
• Jess's cozy comfort rec: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Lori Gilmore (book four in the Dream Harbor series)
• Kelly goes a little darker: Bright Young Women — a page-turner rooted in Ted Bundy's crimes, set in 1978 Tallahassee
• Jess's pick for those who want some cozy cowboys: The Lucky Shamrock by Carolyn Brown
• Kelly's final rec: Alan Opts Out — a funny, relatable story about a successful man who steps off the treadmill and what happens next

Books Mentioned:

• The Deal (Off Campus series) — Elle Kennedy
• Typewriter Beach — Meg Waite Clayton
• The Boyfriend — Freida McFadden
• Calamity Club — Kathryn Stockett
• Yesteryear — Caro Claire Burke
• The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor series) — Lori Gilmore
• Bright Young Women — Jessica Knoll
• The Lucky Shamrock — Carolyn Brown
• Alan Opts Out — Courtney Maum

Brighter Move — Jess: Give yourself permission to read what sounds fun — not what sounds impressive. Light and fluffy is a completely valid summer choice.

Brighter Move — Kelly: Even 10 minutes counts. Find the nooks and crannies in your summer and bring the joy back to reading. This is the month of joy — and your book list is part of that.

Free Download: Grab our Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet — perfect to screenshot and save for those "what do I even wear?" summer mornings. Sign up for our newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter and it's yours.

Check out the full book list on our blog at chasingbrighter.com

📱 Instagram: @chasingbrighter 🌐 chasingbrighter.com 💌 Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

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It's June — and for so many of us, that means the pace finally starts to shift. But what happens when slowing down feels uncomfortable? When stillness makes your nervous system anxious instead of at ease?

In this episode, Jessica and Kelly kick off June with an honest conversation about what it really looks like to choose rest before you're forced into it. They talk about the difference between collapsing from exhaustion and intentionally creating space — and why that distinction changes everything.

This is your permission slip to actually be in your life instead of just running it.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

• Why coming out of a full season can feel uncomfortable, even when you're relieved
• The difference between rest as collapse vs. rest as a conscious choice
• Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith's seven types of rest — and why sleep alone isn't enough
• Why summer's unstructured time can actually feel harder than the busy school year
• How presence over performance is a skill worth rebuilding
• Real Over Perfect moments from both of us on slowing down in real life
• How to protect small, intentional moments without adding them to your to-do list
• Why free time feeling wrong is actually worth sitting with

Brighter Moves This Week

Kelly's Brighter Move: Look at one thing on your June calendar that's optional — something you may be doing out of habit or obligation. You don't have to cancel it. Just sit with it. Ask yourself: is this a yes, or a slow no?

Jessica's Brighter Move: Find one place this week where you can choose to slow down before you're forced to. One morning, one meal, one moment — let it actually land. Then notice how it feels to choose it.

Free Download

Grab our free Choose Your Own Adventure Summer Planning Template — big anchors, small rituals, and a joy inventory all in one doc. Sign up for the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com to get yours.

Resources Mentioned

• Like this episode? You might like: Episode 15: The Exhaustion Sleep Can't Fix
• Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith — Seven Types of Rest (linked episode in show notes)
• Choose Your Own Adventure Summer Planning Template — free at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

Connect With Us

Blog & Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com Instagram: @chasingbrighter Newsletter Sign-Up: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

----more----

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June is officially joy month at Chasing Brighter — and what better way to kick it off than with one of our favorite subjects: fashion. In this Superwoman Diaries episode, Jessica and Kelly break down the summer 2026 fashion trends worth paying attention to, the ones you can skip, and the ones you're probably already wearing without even knowing you're trendy. No pressure, no closet overhaul required. This is a wear-what-brings-you-joy conversation.

🎁 Summer 2026 Joy Dressing Trend Cheat Sheet

A free one-pager with all of this episode's trends in a fun Try It / Skip It / Already Living It format. Super easy, super shareable.

Grab it free at chasingbrighter.com — also available when you sign up for our newsletter!

• Jelly sandals & the Y2K comeback — mule styles, Dolce Vita, Cushionaire dupes, and how to actually find a pair that isn't sold out
• Crocs glow-up — the Crocs Miami strappy sandal, Brooklyn low wedge, and platform styles that survive the ball field and the Clorox wipe test
• Matching sets & coordinated looks — why a two-piece set is an easy anchor piece for a busy, on-the-go life; spotlight on Z Supply
• Linen everything — wide-leg pants, linen sets, button-down + shorts combos; plus the honest conversation about wrinkle care and fabric quality
• Low-effort, high-impact dressing — breezy, multi-purpose pieces that work from the beach to happy hour (and survive a mustard spill)
• Skirts with personality — bold colors, fun patterns, tiered maxi skirts, leopard print as a neutral, and tips for finding the right skirt silhouette for your body
• Graphic tees that say something — V-neck cuts for women, how to pair a tee with a skirt and low-profile sneaker or a linen layer
• Romantic & feminine details — ruffled hems, lace, eyelet fabrics, airy pastels, and tiered maxi skirts (Gabby approved!)
• Bermuda shorts / dad shorts / boyfriend shorts — longer denim shorts, the DIY cut-your-jeans approach, and what actually flatters different body types
• Bralettes and the no-wire movement — an honest hot take on who this works for and who needs more structure (spoiler: Jessica is firmly in the underwire camp)
• Raffia accents & coastal details — belts, earrings, sandals, woven bucket totes, and the Clarvy raffia bag moment
• Budget-smart fashion strategies — thrifting on apps (ThredUp, The RealReal), Rent the Runway for designer access, Google Shopping deals, tailoring what you own, and quality vs. fast fashion

• Dolce Vita — tortoiseshell jelly sandals
• Cushionaire — affordable dupes for Birkenstock and Dolce Vita styles
• Jelavu (J-E-L-A-V-U) Glimmer Jelly Mule
• Birkenstock Arizona (white / non-leather)
• Crocs Miami strappy sandal and Brooklyn low wedge
• Z Supply — mix-and-match knit and linen sets
• Michael Stars — ribbed tank dresses and quality staples
• Cut from the Cloth — denim shorts
• Democracy Ab Fab — flattering jeans (Nordstrom Rack)
• Thigh Society — under-skirt shorts without the shapewear feel
• Clarvy — raffia and quilted bags
• Rent the Runway — designer clothing rental (link in show notes for a bonus piece)
• ThredUp & The RealReal — online thrifting platforms
• Krista K Boutique — local Chicago boutique; Melissa Briskman (returning this fall!)
• Target Universal Thread ribbed tanks — the ultimate summer uniform staple

Follow us on Instagram: @chasingbrighter

Website: chasingbrighter.com

Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter

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You've seen the aesthetic — the linen aprons, the cottagecore feeds, the slow-morning coffee rituals on Instagram. But what does romanticizing your life actually mean when real life is messy, busy, and full? In this episode, Jessica and Kelly strip the concept down to its honest core: noticing what's already there, claiming it, and refusing to let it slip past you on autopilot.

Jessica opens with the story of Athlete Jessica — the competitive, hard-working girl she was growing up — who quietly faded somewhere around 2012 and who she's been getting back, one Orange Theory treadmill push at a time. Kelly digs into the ancient roots of this idea (and a book obsession that led to a surprisingly joyful laundry practice). Together they explore how the real practice isn't about pretty things — it's about orientation, attention, and deciding your ordinary life is worth paying attention to.

• Why romanticizing your life has nothing to do with aesthetics — and everything to do with attention
• Jessica's story of losing (and reclaiming) her athlete identity over more than a decade
• The difference between living intentionally and just performing your life
• Kelly's post-book laundry revelation and what "mastery in everyday life" actually looks like
• Research from Professor Fred Bryant at Loyola on savoring as a learnable, wellbeing-linked skill
• Why summer is the perfect season to start a noticing practice
• How family dinners, gym rituals, and morning coffee can be radical acts of presence

From Jessica — The Noticing Practice:

Once a day, pause and notice one specific, ordinary thing. Not abstract gratitude — something concrete. The color of something. The sound of something. The way something feels. Hold it for 10 seconds. That's the whole practice.

From Kelly — The Single-Tasking Challenge:

Pick one activity this week — making coffee, eating lunch, driving somewhere — and do it with zero competing input. No TV, no podcast, no screen. Just the activity. Notice what surfaces when there's nothing else competing for your attention.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Summer Planning Guide

A free template to help you design a summer worth remembering — complete with big anchors, small rituals, and a joy inventory. The whole season in one document.

→ Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter at chasingbrighter.com

How June feels different this year. A season is ending, a new one is beginning — and we want to give you permission to actually land in it. We're talking about what it means to slow down before life makes you.

New episode drops Thursday.

Website & newsletter: chasingbrighter.com

Instagram: @chasingbrighter

If today's episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs permission to slow down — and grab your free Summer Planning Guide at chasingbrighter.com.

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