TL;DR: Lis is moving into a new life stage. selling the house, and staring down a mountain of stuff that may or may not include six flutes and skinny jeans from 2005. Lisa tries (and fails) to convince her that nobody needs that many flutes.

Spoiler: they're all staying.

What Went Down:

Lis is officially entering her Version 63.4 era - which means separating from her husband, moving house, and facing the ultimate question: Am I a minimalist who lives in a city apartment, or do I need a rural shed for all my weird shit?

We dive deep into the emotional minefield of decluttering. From punch bowls to Princess Diana porcelain dolls, from accordion pianos to unplayable ancestral flutes - nothing is safe. Except maybe the flutes. They're definitely staying.

Plus: why we call each other "babes" (hint: it's ironic), the Marie Kondo method neither of us will ever use, and Lisa's revelation that anything in the freezer is dead to her forever.

Key Vergen Takeaways:

🔹 The Origin of "Babes" – We're taking the piss out of 2013 online business culture. It stuck. We're stuck with it.

🔹 Hoarder vs Minimalist Poll Results – 2/3 minimalists, 1/3 collectors. Lis is shook (and outnumbered).

🔹 The "Light vs Heavy" Method – Lisa's financial advisor's genius hack: make a list of what feels light vs heavy in your life. Dump the heavy stuff. Revolutionary. Also terrifying.

🔹 Kids Don't Need ALL Their Artwork – Lisa said it. Not every finger painting is a masterpiece. The children will survive.

🔹 Relationships > Stuff – When everything else could literally burn down, people are what matter. (But also maybe keep the accordion.)

🔹 Legacy Goals Shift – From "I want them to remember my weird stuff" to "I want them to remember I was fun, I laughed a lot, and I taught them random skills like welding."

🔹 The Shed vs City Apartment Dilemma – Spoiler: Lis needs the shed.

🔹 Timeline: 4 Weeks – Lis has ONE MONTH to sort her entire life. Send thoughts, prayers, and moving boxes.

Referenced (But Not Linked Because They Don't Deserve It):

• Marie Kondo's "spark joy" method (which neither of us has time for)
• Marie Forleo's Brisbane dance party energy (we're still recovering)
• That whole 2013 "boss babe" era (ick)

Connect With Us:

🌐 Website: theverge.life
📱 Instagram: @thevergelife (come help Lis decide what stays and what goes)

Next Episode: Lisa’s very (VERY!) random new skill

Stay messy, Vergens. 💛

This week on Women on the Verge: Lisa tackles the DIY project that's been haunting her for YEARS - installing a key lockbox after approximately one million lockouts. What starts as a simple solution spirals into drilling brick, phoning friends with actual upper body strength, and confronting the harsh reality that teenage boys are now stronger than us.

From ADHD quirks and expensive Uber trips for spare keys, to discovering the hot handymen of Abbotsford Bunnings, this episode is part home improvement tutorial, part existential crisis about getting old and weak. Spoiler: The lockbox is up, the combination is not set and we're both getting kettlebells. Maybe.

TL;DR: Lisa drilled some holes, solved her key crisis, and we're all getting ripped now. Obviously.

KEY POINTS DISCUSSED

The Great Key Lockout of 2025

• ALL spare keys AND actual keys locked inside at once = $100+ Uber from parents an hour away… and tears.
• Why Lisa finally installed a wall-mounted combination lockbox - thanks Whataspp group
• The combination number *might* be 6969

Drilling Into Brick: Reality Check

• Wall plugs are essential (screws don't just go into brick, Vergens)
• Drilling into brick requires actual muscle - Lisa had to phone a friend
• Lis and Lisa realise they're concerningly weak and need to get ripped
• Perimenopause strength chat: cottage cheese, degenerated discs, and kettlebells that never move

Critical Intel

• Hot handymen hang out at Abbotsford Bunnings on weekdays
• Take your drill bits INTO the store and ask for help sizing them
• Being the only adult in the house at night is nerve-wracking (Lis is known to lock herself in her bedroom)

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

Products Mentioned:

• Wall-mounted combination key lockbox (Amazon—we hate you but also thanks)
• Wall plugs (available at your local Bunnings)

Skills You'll Need:

• How to drill into brick (requires: drill, correct drill bit, wall plugs, and someone with actual upper body strength)
• How to change a combination lock code (Lisa will Google this. Eventually.)

Places Referenced:

• Abbotsford Bunnings, Melbourne (hot handyman headquarters)
• Any Bunnings (for all your DIY therapy needs)

THE VERGE TAKEAWAY

Skills are one thing. Strength is another. We need both. And also community. Because no woman is an island, especially when she's trying to drill into brick at 45.

Next Episode: We'll either have six-packs or more cottage cheese opinions. Probably both.

Got a DIY disaster or a skill you're scared to tackle? Message us! We'd love to fumble through it together.

Connect with Women on the Verge: 🌐 theverge.life 📱 Follow us on Instagram @womenontheverge

Remember Vergens: You're not losing your mind. You're just living on the verge.

Episode Summary:

Lisa's power went out. Sort of. Welcome to the mysterious world of brownouts - where some lights work, some don't, and your WiFi dies but your oven keeps humming. What happens when a suburban mum discovers she's completely unprepared for even the mildest power disruption?

ChatGPT to the rescue with emergency prep tips, while Lis reveals she's been secretly hoarding supplies like a suburban prepper queen.

Key Points:

⚡ The Great Brownout Mystery

• Power outage meets selective shutdown
• Vulnerable devices need protection (spoiler: everything is vulnerable)
• Tom from Facebook group: unexpected suburban hero

🔦 Emergency Essentials Revealed

• Lis's secret prepper status exposed
• Headlamps: mining vibes but practical AF
• Solar lanterns: ambience meets apocalypse prep

💧 Water & Food Reality Check

• Several gallons per person per day (where does this even go?)
• Manual can opener: the unsung hero
• Dried fruit controversy ignites

🏠 The Prep List Breakdown

• First aid kits, fire extinguishers, face masks
• Hand-crank radios for mystery frequencies
• Neighbourhood tool sharing: the future of single women

Links:

• ChatGPT - Your new emergency planning consultant
• Local Facebook Groups - Where brownout intel lives
• YouTube: "How to use vulnerable devices during power outages"
• Bunnings - For all your prepping needs (and fire extinguishers you can't find)

New Vocabulary:

• Brownout: The polite version of a blackout
• Vulnerable Devices: Basically everything with a chip
• Indigo Out: Our proposed rebrand (work in progress)

Quote of the Episode: "I'm in my brownout phase. I'm just turning some things off." - Lisa, redefining midlife

Connect: @thevergelife | theverge.life

Next episode: Will Lisa finally meet her neighbours? Will Lis share her secret prepper shopping list? Stay tuned, Vergens.