The mics are back on & the oven is warm. We catch up on two fast months that packed in a Winnipeg homecoming, a Toronto Blue Jays playoff ride that took over our screens, and a kitchen marathon of cheddar biscuits, sticky toffee pudding cake, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. It’s equal parts comfort food and clutch moments.

September felt like a reset. Winnipeg brought us back to family, old stories, and the kind of easy love that makes a city feel like home. The reunion turned social media acquaintances into real hugs and reminded us why showing up matters. October turned the dial up: a birthday planned around steak and baseball, holiday hosting with smoked turkey, and the shared ritual of watching games with people you love. The Jays fell short, but the journey stitched together restaurants, living rooms, and a lot of hopeful innings.

Looking ahead, we split paths in November. Esteban leans into exams, back-to-back games, and new music drops. Maria boards a flight to Spain for a fall adventure. We talk honestly about time management, what we missed about recording together, and how to protect one-on-one time when life gets crowded. We set simple goals—finish strong at school, maybe attempt a freezing lake swim, definitely record four more episodes before year-end—and we celebrate a delightful surprise: listeners across 16 countries tuning into our small corner of basketball, baking, and everyday life.

If you’re here for family stories, sports heartbreaks that turn into inside jokes, or recipes that double as love letters, you’ll feel at home. Press play, ride the highs and lows with us, and stick around for the promise: more hoops, more crumbs, more real talk. If this episode made you smile, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave a quick review so more people can find our little kitchen-court combo.

Have a question for us to ask each other? We’d love to hear it!

Follow us on Instagram @hoopsandcrumbs and share your thoughts! We are always looking for questions to ask each other on the #doubledouble

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Esteban and Maria return to the podcast after a summer break, discussing the challenges of balancing 5AM basketball practices with school demands, and their mantra for the year: "Keep Your Doors Open."

• Chocolate chip sour cream cake taste test kicks off the episode
• Summer highlights including a cottage vacation and visiting friends from camp
• Coach Z's no-nonsense approach and focus on discipline
• Esteban's goals to be more assertive on the court and improve defensively
• The importance of not limiting yourself academically
• Mental challenges of pushing beyond comfort zones
• Advice for students returning to school: don't fall behind by getting caught up in social distractions
• Grade 10 as a crucial year for establishing academic foundations

Join us for more Hoops and Crumbs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and everywhere else you can find your favorite podcasts. We'll talk about basketball, cookies, and share other random life musings.

Have a question for us to ask each other? We’d love to hear it!

Follow us on Instagram @hoopsandcrumbs and share your thoughts! We are always looking for questions to ask each other on the #doubledouble

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In this first episode of a new season, Esteban starts a series called "Shooting Hoops & Chasing Dreams" where he interviews folks about their careers as he starts to think about carving out his own path. With summer break winding down in 4 weeks, it's time to get that future mindset going again.

For the first installment of this series, Esteban sits down with Jeff, who shares his journey from corporate success to founding his own business, offering practical advice and inspiration for aspiring business owners. His story highlights how identifying market gaps and persisting through challenges can lead to entrepreneurial success.

Follow us on Instagram @hoopsandcrumbs with your questions for future episodes and join us next time for more basketball, cookies, and life musings. Send us a message if you've got an idea for who should be featured next for another segment of "Shooting Hoops & Chasing Dreams"!

Have a question for us to ask each other? We’d love to hear it!

Follow us on Instagram @hoopsandcrumbs and share your thoughts! We are always looking for questions to ask each other on the #doubledouble

https://www.instagram.com/hoopsandcrumbs?igsh=MTBmNjFkOTBueGE2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr