Today was long—not in hours, but in emotional weight. I talk through the heaviness of caregiving, a FedEx package still held hostage in Chicago, feeling unexpectedly down before a vendor event I normally love, and the weird burnout that comes from a life season that just… won’t let up.

I also share updates on our Total Money Makeover journey, a pivot we had to make for today’s Scentsy event, why remote roles feel like the only viable path forward, and how cautiously optimistic I am about finding a job that aligns with my reality.

Quiet day. Heavy heart. Still grateful. Still here.

• Froggy voice returns… again 😑
• Package STILL stuck in Chicago
• First night of the vendor event + scrambling
• Emotional heaviness and lack of excitement this year
• Caregiving exhaustion + the mental toll
• Total Money Makeover revelations
• Starting to find new job leads
• Remote roles vs. downtown office chaos
• Feeling cautiously optimistic (but also nervous)

• Some seasons feel heavy for no specific reason — that’s still valid.
• Caregiving fatigue can quietly drain excitement from even your favorite traditions.
• Financial stress + job loss + caretaking is a uniquely brutal combo.
• Small progress (like applying for jobs or budgeting wins) still counts.
• You can feel grateful and exhausted at the same time.

This entry includes discussion of caregiver fatigue, emotional heaviness, financial stress, low mood, and job-search anxiety. Nothing graphic. Just tender, honest, end-of-November tired vibes.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @lifeinthebarilane [https://www.instagram.com/lifeinthebarilane/]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

daily dump, bariatric community, Life in the Bari Lane, caregiver fatigue, emotional heaviness, burnout, Scentsy vendor event, shipping delays, FedEx Chicago delay, financial stress, total money makeover, budgeting journey, EveryDollar app, remote job search, project manager roles, introvert office fatigue, open office stress, job loss recovery, emotional resilience, vulnerable storytelling

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

This podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for information, education, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional, therapist, or financial advisor. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health, wellness, or financial professional regarding any medical condition, treatment, or decision. Listener discretion...

I missed my Miracle Morning again (big womp-womp energy), my voice is still froggy, my Scentsy order is being held hostage in Chicago, and my brain is doing mental gymnastics about caregiving, finances, and job searching.

Today I talk about the emotional load of trying to take care of my mom, the frustration of wanting someone to choose better for themselves, a Dateline rabbit hole on domestic violence, why scared people stay, starting Financial Peace University with one-third of our former income, and interviewing for jobs while navigating this wild season.

Short, candid, and very “I’m doing my best but also… wow.”

• Missing the Miracle Morning… again
• Feeling froggy + fatigued but pushing through
• Scentsy vendor event stress + a Chicago shipment in limbo
• The mental drain of caregiving and acceptance
• Dateline deep dive: domestic violence, fear, and complexity
• Dancing with the dog instead of spiraling
• Reading The Total Money Makeover + starting Financial Peace University
• Navigating the loss of 2/3 of household income
• A hopeful job posting + LinkedIn recruiting breadcrumbs

• Someone else’s self-neglect isn’t yours to fix — even when it hurts.
• Caregiving isn’t just actions; it’s mental load, emotional load, and grief.
• Domestic violence dynamics are far more complex than outsiders assume.
• Financial stress reshapes identity, energy, and hope — but learning helps.
• Even on bad days, tiny joys (a dancing dog, a new book insight, a job lead) matter.

This daily entry includes vulnerable discussion of caregiving fatigue, family strain, domestic violence, financial stress, and ongoing illness/fatigue. Nothing graphic, but emotionally heavy at points. Listen gently if you’re already feeling tender.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @lifeinthebarilane [https://www.instagram.com/lifeinthebarilane/]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

daily dump, bariatric life, Life in the Bari Lane, caregiving stress, emotional exhaustion, family caregiving, miracle morning fail, Scentsy vendor event, shipping delays, Chicago warehouse issues, froggy voice fatigue, domestic violence reflections, trauma patterns, budgeting, Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace University, EveryDollar app, emergency fund, financial stress, job search anxiety, LinkedIn recruiter outreach, podcasting life, vulnerability, honest audio diary

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

This podcast is based on...

Hey Bari Besties 💜

Today’s dump is a mix of tech frustration, family dynamics, and some pretty heavy reflection on justice and how we treat people.

Sacha starts with a “womp-womp” confession: she forgot her Miracle Morning for the first time this month and blames at least some of the chaos on Mercury being in retrograde. Riverside keeps eating recordings, tech is glitching, and the patience tank is low.

She also shares about her interview with Gail Showalter, a Texas storyteller with a powerful life journey and founder of Single Moms Empowered, a nonprofit that helps single moms upskill and get credentials so they can support their families. That sparks a reflection on how little structured support exists for single dads, and how complicated it is for any single parent to juggle childcare, sick days, and work without a net.

From there, Sacha circles back to yesterday’s episode: finally talking directly with her aunt about why she’s been distant, and realizing how hard it is for her aunt to be around Sacha’s mom in her current state. That conversation brings up old wounds about not belonging in her family, being written off as “not wanting to work,” and how much those narratives still sting when she’s actively trying to find work while caregiving.

• The emotional cost of hosting The High-Functioning Disaster and holding space for guests’ trauma
• The shortage of accessible mental health care and how rare weekly therapy really is
• Losing her excellent insurance at the end of the month, stepping down to lackluster coverage, and what that means for care
• Why she calls this country a “high-functioning disaster”
• Her frustration with how immigration, race, and violence show up in policy, rhetoric, and real cases — including a local shooting where a woman was killed after going to the wrong house for a cleaning job

It’s part diary, part rant, part processing-out-loud — and all brutally honest.

Links you might hear referenced:

• Scentsy link: sachasmells.com
• Venmo: venmo.com/sachasmells
• Single Moms Empowered (mentioned nonprofit)
• The High-Functioning Disaster podcast

• Missing a routine day (like Miracle Morning) doesn’t erase the streak; perfection isn’t required.
• Tech issues (especially with recording platforms) can be emotionally brutal when you’re creating daily content.
• Nonprofits like Single Moms Empowered can be lifelines for single moms seeking education and better jobs.
• Single dads often fall through the cracks of support systems, even though they face many of the same challenges.
• Family estrangement and feeling excluded can echo old wounds and shape how you see yourself.
• Holding space for trauma stories (as a podcast host or helper) is meaningful but energetically draining.
• Access to mental health care is limited — not just by cost, but by the sheer lack of providers and appointment availability.
• The U.S. healthcare and insurance system often fails people who most need stability.
• Anti-immigrant sentiment, racial bias, and “stand your ground” narratives can combine into deadly outcomes.
• It’s possible to be politically “purple” — leaning left but still holding nuance — and still be deeply disturbed by how people are treated.

This episode includes discussion of family estrangement, painful comments from relatives, caregiving stress, job loss anxiety, and feeling like you do not belong in your own family.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot]...

In Part 1 of this conversation, Jessica Setnick breaks down the origins of our eating patterns by tracing them back to infancy, early attachment, and the messages absorbed from caregivers. She explains how babies experience comfort, connection, and safety through feeding — and how disruptions in this process can shape emotional patterns for decades.

Jessica introduces her “influence map” exercise, showing how parents, grandparents, teachers, and even family culture leave imprints on how we feel about food and our bodies. Through stories and examples, she illustrates how eating behaviors that seem confusing or frustrating in adulthood are often logical responses to early experiences.

This episode sets the foundation for understanding food not as a moral issue, but as a deeply human, emotionally wired one.

Buckle up. Settle in. Let’s ride.

• Why “hope and science” actually work together in obesity treatment
• What new medications are targeting — and why receptor variety matters
• How early weight-loss patterns may predict long-term response
• Why surgery + medications may be the strongest approach for many patients
• The massive gap in pediatric access — and how telemedicine could change it
• The risks and realities of compounded and gray-market medications
• What a future integrated, one-stop weight-management system could look like

• Our earliest feeding experiences shape how we seek comfort and safety.
• Childhood food messages often run on autopilot well into adulthood.
• “Healing your inner eater” starts with understanding the stories you inherited.
• Emotional eating has roots in survival, not weakness.
• Awareness creates choice — not shame.

This episode discusses childhood food experiences, emotional connections to food, early attachment, family messages, intergenerational patterns, and how these shape eating behaviors. No explicit medical advice is provided. Themes include comfort, safety, self-worth, and food as emotional language.

Where to find Jessica:

• 🌐Website: [https://www.jessicasetnick.com/]
• 📚 Workbook: [https://www.foodfairytales.com/]
• 📱Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/eatingdisordersbootcamp/]
• 📱Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/understandingnutrition/]
• 📱X: [https://x.com/JessicaSetnick]
• 🧠LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicasetnick/]

✨ Connect with Life in the Bari Lane

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @lifeinthebarilane [

Hey Berry Besties 💜

Today’s dump is raw, vulnerable, and deeply human. Sacha records from the floor of her childhood bedroom—now her peaceful home office—while navigating illness, exhaustion, caregiving, and the emotional fallout of family tension.

She reflects on feeling alienated by her aunt, the echoes of past hurt from her father’s family, and how Braving the Wilderness (Brené Brown) is speaking directly to where she is right now: searching for belonging while holding firm boundaries.

This entry digs into loneliness, intergenerational patterns, empathy, and what it means to keep showing up for a parent who can’t show up for themselves. There’s no gloss here—just truth, courage, and reflection.

• Braving the Wilderness & other Brené Brown books
• Emma Lyons’ episode of The High-Functioning Disaster
• Caregiver strain
• Job-hunting with constraints
• Protein goals
• SpeakPipe link coming soon
• Scentsy: sachasmells.com
• Venmo: venmo.com/sachasmells

• Belonging wounds inside a family cut the deepest.
• Caregiving without support is mentally and emotionally draining.
• Brené Brown’s “true belonging” hits hard when you feel excluded.
• Empathy often grows from the exact pain you’ve lived through.
• Rest is necessary when your body is shutting down.
• Job-search stress hits differently when caregiving limits your options.

This episode includes discussion of family estrangement, painful comments from relatives, caregiving stress, job loss anxiety, and feeling like you do not belong in your own family.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @lifeinthebarilane [https://www.instagram.com/lifeinthebarilane/]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

bariatric journey, daily dump, caregiver burnout, family estrangement, belonging wounds, Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness, vulnerability, empathy, loneliness, job search stress, GLP-1 journey, Mounjaro, mental health reflection, Life in the Bari Lane

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

This podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for information, education, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional, therapist, or financial advisor. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health, wellness, or financial professional regarding any medical condition, treatment, or decision. Listener discretion is advised. 💜

Details coming soon

In Part 3 of Sacha’s conversation with Dr. Evan Nadler — one of the nation’s leading pediatric bariatric surgeons — they explore the future of obesity treatment with clarity, honesty, and real hope.

Dr. Nadler breaks down why new medications aren’t just “stronger versions” of each other, how different receptor pathways may help people who don’t respond to certain GLP-1s, and why surgery and medication together will likely shape the next era of care. He and Sacha also talk through his telemedicine weight-management program, the crisis of access in pediatric obesity treatment, and how integrated care could finally bring support to families who’ve been overlooked.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s coming next in obesity care — and what it means for real people who are doing their best with the tools they have — this episode will help connect the dots.

• Why “hope and science” actually work together in obesity treatment
• What new medications are targeting — and why receptor variety matters
• How early weight-loss patterns may predict long-term response
• Why surgery + medications may be the strongest approach for many patients
• The massive gap in pediatric access — and how telemedicine could change it
• The risks and realities of compounded and gray-market medications
• What a future integrated, one-stop weight-management system could look like

• New meds don’t just “work better” — they target different biological pathways that may help non-responders.
• Early weight-loss trends after surgery can signal who may need additional support.
• Some patients who don’t respond to surgery also don’t respond well to certain medications — pointing to underlying biological drivers.
• Access remains one of the biggest barriers in pediatric obesity care; many clinics literally cannot see the patients who need the most help.
• Telemedicine may become a crucial entry point for kids and families shut out by geography, waitlists, or equipment limitations.
• Compounded and gray-market medications come with risks — but patients often pursue them out of necessity, not preference.
• The future of care may include integrated meal planning, wearables, coaching, exercise, and medical oversight in one single hub.

Includes discussion of obesity treatment, pediatric care, access barriers, medication sourcing (compounded/gray-market), and surgical outcomes.

Where to find Evan:

• Website: [https://www.obesityexplained.com/]
• 📱Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/obesity_explained/]
• 📺YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@obesityexplained]
• 🧠LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanpnadler/]

✨ Connect with Life in the Bari Lane

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG:

Hey Berry Besties 💜

Today’s dump is a whole vibe: fresh hair, family drama, unexpected naps, Costco adventures, and the kind of emotional exhaustion you can feel behind your eyes.

Sacha kicks off the morning with a Miracle Morning on the road (because who has time?), then heads into a swirl of errands, sibling calls, awkward aunt tension, and the struggle of trying to get everyone aligned on caregiving responsibilities.

She hits her protein goal (mostly with shakes), finds new coats at Costco, freezes her butt off, snuggles Brandon the Human Radiator™, and takes two naps. Then it’s weekly planning, job-hunting anxiety, PMP prep, and hanging out in the office with all the pets passed out around her like furry little supervisors.

It’s chaotic, relatable, exhausting, human… and real.

• Miracle Morning (road edition)
• Costco & Sam’s runs
• No-spend November
• Project Management Professional (PMP) prep
• Scentsy: sachasmells.com
• Venmo: venmo.com/sachasmells

• Caregiving is heavy, especially when the support system wobbles.
• Protein goals count even when they’re shake-heavy.
• Miracle Mornings in the car? Still count.
• Costco coats are elite.
• Perimenopause + random freezing episodes = why.
• Two naps = sometimes necessary.

Light family conflict, mentions of caregiving stress, job loss, and perimenopause symptoms.

• 🎙 Guest inquiries: bookings [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 📬 Get in touch: heythere [at] holderhausmedia [dot] com
• 🎙 More episodes & info: [https://life-in-the-bari-lane.captivate.fm/]
• 🎙 Discover more podcasts by Holder Haus Media: [https://holder-haus-media.captivate.fm/]
• 📱 Follow on IG: @lifeinthebarilane [https://www.instagram.com/lifeinthebarilane/]
• 📺 Watch on YouTube: Uploads coming soon! [https://www.youtube.com/@HolderHausMedia]
• 💜 When I’m not podcasting, I’m also a Scentsy Consultant of 10+ years. If you’re into fragrance and cozy vibes, you can find my shop here: [https://sachasmells.com]

bariatric journey, bariatric podcast, daily dump, Miracle Morning, Costco haul, caregiving stress, family dynamics, caregiver burnout, protein goals, gastric sleeve life, GLP-1 journey, Mounjaro, perimenopause cold flashes, weekly planning, PMP prep, no-spend November, introvert life, errands vlog, Life in the Bari Lane

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

This podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for information, education, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional, therapist, or financial advisor. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health, wellness, or financial professional regarding any medical condition, treatment, or decision. Listener discretion is advised. 💜