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Resolutions sound great until real life shows up with candy bowls, crowded gyms, and late-night cravings. We decided to trade grand promises for small wins and a good laugh, opening the year with a candid chat about what actually sticks: removing triggers, shrinking goals, and building routines that survive a bad day. One story sets the vibe—kicking cigarettes for 30 years by ditching alcohol for a season and stacking better habits in its place—proof that environment design beats raw willpower.

We get practical about training as we age: lighter impact, smarter progression, and recovery you actually respect. Sugar takes center stage as the stealth saboteur of holidays and office life, and we share how cutting added sugar for months improved energy, inflammation, and mood without going joyless. Instead of forcing January 1 to carry all the pressure, we champion off-calendar starts and tiny daily actions. If the goal feels heavy, halve it; if you miss a day, lower the bar, not the standard. Mental health matters, too—less people-pleasing, fewer pointless fights, more boundaries and outlets that calm the mind without wrecking the week.

Of course, we make room for the hangout energy: a quick tequila toast, a spirited eyebrow-trend rant, sci‑fi nostalgia from Soylent Green to Running Man, and a nod to the community that’s grown with us. We also put a beacon out for dream guests—yes, Joey Diaz, we’re ready at 2 a.m. if you are. If you’re tired of resolutions that fizzle, this is your reset: build a life that makes the right choice the easy choice and let time compound the gains.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a realistic reset, and drop your one tiny habit for 2026 in the comments. Your idea might help someone else get started.

Hosted by: Cottman, Crawford & The Jersey Guy
Contact us: CCandNJGuy@gmail.com
Links & socials: https://linktr.ee/ccandnjguy

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Think Christmas is only lights, cocoa, and cozy sweaters? We pull back the tinsel to reveal the darker folklore beating under the season: Krampus with his chains and birch rods, Belsnickel testing children in fur and grit, and La Befana gliding in on Epiphany Eve with gifts and old-world warmth. From Wales’ Mari Lwyd—yes, the singing horse skull at your door—to Iceland’s man-eating Yule Cat for those without new clothes, these winter legends carry real bite.

We connect the dots across cultures to show why the cold months invited stories that enforced community rules and soothed collective anxieties. Krampusnacht sits beside Saint Nicholas Day like shadow and light. Greek Kallikantzaroi goblins bring gremlin energy to the Twelve Days. Ukraine’s Christmas spider spins a gentler origin for tinsel, while Catalonia’s Tió de Nadal turns a log into a candy “pooper,” part absurdist joy, part ritual reward. Even Sweden’s towering Gävle Goat plays cat-and-mouse with arson and tradition, proving folklore lives as much in spectacle as in story.

Through humor and history, we ask what these myths were really for. Fear-based parenting once used monsters to shape behavior; today’s “Santa is watching” is the softened sequel. Yet modern festivals—Krampuslauf to SantaCon—still turn streets into stages where communities negotiate chaos and cheer. By embracing the spooky edges of winter, we see why Christmas was never purely safe or simple; it’s a living tapestry that holds both consequences and compassion.

Join us for a fast, funny, and thoughtful tour through the holiday’s shadowy corners, then tell us your favorite strange tradition. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review—it helps us grow, bring on more guests with our new video setup, and make even better episodes for you.

Hosted by: Cottman, Crawford & The Jersey Guy
Contact us: CCandNJGuy@gmail.com
Links & socials: https://linktr.ee/ccandnjguy

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Eight nights, rising light, and a story that refuses to fade. We dive into Hanukkah’s heart: the Maccabean fight for identity, the oil that burned beyond reason, and the menorah in the window that says we’re here without saying a word. Along the way, we unpack the biggest myth—Hanukkah isn’t “Jewish Christmas”—and show how a modest holiday grew into a meaningful cultural anchor.

We keep things grounded and personal. From childhood envy of tinsel and towering trees to the calm rhythm of blessings at sundown, we talk about gifts, lists, and why some families save the “big present” for the first night. We break down the shamash, why the light increases, and how dreidel letters encode a miracle. The food is half the joy—latkes crisped in oil, knishes that taste like memory, gelt that turns a lesson into a treat—each bite connecting back to the story.

We also explore visibility and respect: menorahs on lawns, blue and white lights, and what it means to celebrate side by side with Christmas without blending meanings. Mixed backgrounds and ancestry come up, too—how traditions adapt across generations and why public light matters for minority faiths. The result is a clear, warm guide to celebrating with intention, whether you’re lighting your first candle or teaching kids why the window glow is more than decoration.

If this conversation added a little light to your day, tap follow, hit subscribe, and share it with someone who’d love the story behind the candles. Leave a quick review to help more listeners find us, and tell us: what tradition do you most look forward to this season?

Hosted by: Cottman, Crawford & The Jersey Guy
Contact us: CCandNJGuy@gmail.com
Links & socials: https://linktr.ee/ccandnjguy