The holidays have a way of turning the volume up on everything — stress, relationships, emotions, expectations… and sometimes even our sniffles. In this pre-holiday, slightly-unscripted, very real episode of Living Well Together, we’re doing what we do best: pulling up a couple of chairs, talking honestly, and sorting through life together.

From marriage and faith to teamwork, journaling, stress, and the tiny daily disciplines that quietly shape our lives, this conversation is a reminder that growth doesn’t come from perfection — it comes from commitment. We talk about what it really looks like to grow in faith together, why your marriage isn’t something to “fix” but something to steward, and how consistency in the small things creates strength when life feels heavy.

We also dive into:
- Why the holidays amplify both joy and tension
- How partnership, humor, and grace keep a marriage strong
- The power of morning pages, journaling, and offloading stress to God
- Why “little disciplines” matter more than big, dramatic changes
- Protecting your marriage with intention (no vacancy signs included 😉)
- Managing stress as a team instead of carrying it alone

This episode is honest, lighthearted, faith-filled, and grounded in real life — the kind of conversation you listen to and think, “Yep… we’re not the only ones.”

✨ Join the conversation and community here:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingwellexperience

📘 The journaling practice we reference (and love):
👉 https://amzn.to/48VyMD5

💜 Special thanks to our friends Beth Justice, Steph Motter, and Cindy Michael for inspiring this episode and the meaningful questions that sparked such a rich conversation.

As always — subscribe, share this episode with someone you love, and remember: big life really is lived in the small, faithful moments.

In Episode one hundred and ONE (can you believe it?!), Lisa and Terry kick off the holiday season with a fun, heartfelt, and deeply practical conversation about navigating December with more peace, more presence, and a whole lot less pressure.

After reminiscing about 101 episodes of community stories, small-town gems, and unforgettable guests, your hosts dive into what really happens this time of year — the emotional stress, the sugar swings, the exhaustion, the over-committing, the grief of “first holidays without,” and the constant pressure to be festive even when life feels heavy.

You may laugh, you’ll nod “yes… that’s me,” and you’ll walk away with a handful of simple Living Well tools to help your body, mind, and spirit stay grounded this season.

In this episode, they unpack:
- Why December is secretly one of the most stressful months for your nerve system
- The fight-or-flight pattern and how it wrecks sleep, digestion, and immunity
- Sugar overload (a.k.a. “the parade of poor-choice carbs”) and how to buffer against it
- Holiday grief + emotional pressure and why “performing joy” can backfire
- Hydration hacks (hello, electrolytes, lemon water, and mineral support!)
- Protein-first holiday survival + the bone broth trick
- Why over-exercising backfires for menopausal women
- The power of micro-workouts to keep you moving without spiking cortisol
- Seasonal swaps like clove tea, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon (not cassia!), and broth-based meals

You’ll also hear some good McCoskey humor, a few call-outs to Graham, and Lisa’s newest “Living Well tips” to support energy, digestion, inflammation, and emotional steadiness through all the holiday swirl.

❤️ A December reminder from Terry:
“When you focus on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Savior, it suddenly becomes easier to make better choices, skip the extra cocktail, go to bed on time, and step out of the pressure. It re-centers everything.”

As we wrap up 2025 and step toward 2026, this episode is your gentle nudge to feel present, not pressured — and to create a holiday rhythm that’s actually nourishing.

If you love it, be sure to like, follow, and share with someone who needs a little holiday exhale.

Living Well Favorites:
👉 Nectar Electrolytes
Our favorite clean, balanced electrolyte mix for rebuilding minerals and preventing “dead water” dehydration.
Shop the 10% off link: https://go.shopmy.us/p-34485194

👉 Magnesium Decoder Guide
A simple breakdown of each magnesium type, what it helps with, and how to choose the right one for sleep, stress, or digestion.
Grab the free guide: https://livingwellbeauty.myflodesk.com/magnesium

👉 Cymbiotika Magnesium Complex
A high-quality, multi-form magnesium supplement that supports relaxation, blood sugar balance, and stress resilience.
Get 20% off with this link: https://cymbiotika.com/LISAMCCOSKEY

👉 Organic Bone Broth
A protein-rich, gut-supportive way to stay full before holiday events and prevent sugar crashes later.
Delicious collagen support: https://amzn.to/4rRpxww

👉 Binaural Beats / Healing Frequencies Playlist
These calming frequencies help regulate your nervous system and turn down cortisol in just a few minutes.
Listen here: www.wholetones.com

👉 Organic Ceylon Cinnamon
The only cinnamon I recommend — supports blood sugar and digestion without the harmful coumarin found in cheap cassia cinnamon.
https://livingwellbeauty.com/is-your-cinnamon-safe-a-cozy-fall-favorite-w

Snowflakes, sailboats, sourdough, and… shot put?! Welcome to Episode 100 of Living Well Together: Big Life in a Small Town—where a quiet snowy morning turns into a whirlwind recap of weddings, Thanksgiving chaos, and a brand-new family tradition that just might inspire your next big adventure.

In this milestone episode, Lisa and Terry cozy up to chat about:
* A storybook Beaufort sailboat wedding for their eldest daughter 🥹✨
* Their plaid-and-flannel themed Thanksgiving with 21 people, ping pong, bowling, Buckeyes, and very questionable concession stand food
* How a simple “new hobby for the year” idea (thanks, Graham!) turned into talk of pressure canning, prepper skills, musical dreams, archery, homemade tinctures, rock collections, and the tiniest, quirkiest hobbies you’ve never even thought about.

More than just giggles and stories, this conversation is really about why play matters—especially as we get older. Lisa shares how hobbies can reset your nervous system, open up new neural pathways, and pull you out of the “all work, no play” rut so you can stay curious, creative, and youthful.

Tune in, laugh along, and then ask yourself:
What new hobby will you pick for the year ahead—and who will you invite along on this adventure? 💫