Joy and Claire catch up after Joy’s birthday weekend, which included friends, cupcakes and IKEA closets. They discuss decluttering excess clothes and shoes and Scott’s “optimization” impulse leading him to gift Claire Shokz open-ear running headphones. Updates include a permitted Arches hike, an upcoming Santa Fe anniversary trip to see Big Thief, quick-fire Q&A on small purchases, fitness and running, Bake Off podcast plans, recharging tips, brow products for thinning brows, and excitement for Halloween and an Elizabeth Holmes documentary; Ilona Maher likes their Instagram post.00:00 Welcome Back Birthday Haze01:05 Magnesium Sleep Wins01:56 New Closet Delivery Day03:04 Watching The Delivery Grind05:36 DIY Drawers And Frames07:29 Dimitri The Tasker09:41 Meet Gino Handyman Hero13:17 Closet Costs And Clutter16:05 Decluttering Shoes And Sales18:03 Running Influencer Headphones19:57 Scott Wants To Optimize21:45 Small Ears Tragus Problem22:48 Scott’s Headphone Obsession24:48 Ilona Maher Likes the Post25:31 Arches Permit Hike Recap27:27 Machu Picchu Family Bits28:27 Santa Fe Trip and Quickfire29:05 Under $50 Favorites30:10 Fitness and Running Plans31:56 Bake Off Podcast Returns33:08 Ghost Haunting Picks34:21 Recharge and Brow Tips36:54 Tiny Joys and Fall Treats39:06 Wrap Up and Where to Find Us

Joy Turns 49, Lila's Release, and Midlife Mindset ResetsOn Joy’s 49th birthday episode of Older and Wilder, Joy and Claire reflect on years of podcasting, privacy in the internet age, and September nostalgia. Joy shares a major update about Lilas. They discuss the emotional toll of puppy raising, current dog life with River, Haynes, and new puppy McCoy. Joy talks about recent body dysmorphia, balancing rest vs pushing through, nervous-system reset, training for a Moab trail race, and Delia’s nostalgia at Target.00:00 Birthday Kickoff00:57 Privacy And Cybersecurity03:26 Manitou Birthday Plans04:10 September Nostalgia05:56 High School Sports Memories07:33 Gary Amber And Pella10:34 Leela Released From Training13:07 Adopting Leela To Friends18:04 Puppy Raising Reality Check20:28 Dog Quirks And Car Chaos24:55 McCoy The Prom King Pup26:26 Hormonal Body Dysmorphia27:41 Posting Versus Talking30:53 Breaking Restriction Spirals32:39 Fitness Influencer Pressure36:07 Rest Versus Hustle38:45 Nervous System Reset Hacks40:25 Rules for Real Recovery45:57 Bougie Gym Master Plan47:33 Moab Trail Race Prep50:23 Delias Target Nostalgia52:25 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Zachary Anderson on Building a Queer-Affirming Nebraska Law Firm and the Estate Planning Basics Everyone Needshttps://www.zandersonlaw.com/whozacharyisJoy and Claire welcome back Zachary Anderson, a law attorney in Nebraska, to discuss his firm’s rapid growth since launching in April 2025 and his recent recognition including the Nebraska State Bar Association Diversity Award, an ABA Family Law Section fellowship, and being a top-three finalist for a Clio award for Best New Law Firm. They focus on reducing fear around legal planning, especially estate planning, and Zach outlines “bare minimum” documents. He also notes guardianship nominations and extra protections for same-sex couples. He explains the consequences of having nothing in place and warns against cookie-cutter online services, discusses typical cost ranges, and strongly encourages using a corporate fiduciary instead of family as executor.00:00 Welcome Back Zach!02:20 Why Start A Firm03:32 From Struggle To Growth05:39 Building A Misfit Team11:03 Holistic Family Law17:06 Listener Questions Begin19:24 Estate Planning Basics29:12 Costs And Online Wills37:01 Helping Aging Parents38:55 Executors And Recordkeeping46:10 Normalize Hard Conversations48:02 Finding The Right Attorney50:59 Where To Find Zach51:43 Wrap Up And Next Episode

Aging, Menopause at Work, and “Quiet Quitting” MarriageJoy and Claire discuss how recording video and constant self-viewing intensify anxiety about aging, prompting talk of Botox, Morpheus lasers, marionette lines, and comparing themselves to celebrities, along with a resolve to avoid escalating to fillers. Claire shares a conversation with her Spanish tutor about fiber, beans, and GLP-1 drugs, highlighting how American culture uniquely pressures older women to avoid looking older, contrasted with women who prioritize life experience over appearance. They then explore a listener’s concern that increased menopause visibility at work may fuel stigma even as it helps women feel less self-conscious about symptoms and asking for help. Finally, they discuss the “quiet quitting” marriage trend among midlife women—especially after kids get older—covering unequal mental load, shifting needs, hormones and libido changes, reluctance to divorce or date again, and redefining fulfillment beyond a romantic partner.00:00 Welcome Back and Lighting00:35 Botox and Mirror Fatigue01:20 Marco Polo and Self Scrutiny03:43 Neck Angles and Housewives04:31 Spanish Tutor and Fiber Talk06:31 Ozempic Culture Shock08:11 Surf Trip Aging Perspective09:18 Holding the Line on Procedures10:00 Menopause Talk Backlash11:42 Asking for Help at Work15:35 Taboos Tampons and Perimenopause17:24 Workplace Culture and Tough Leaders18:03 Owning Mom Life at Work18:57 Family First Team Culture20:15 Tradwife Backlash Talk20:45 Quiet Quitting Marriages22:13 Why Women Check Out27:45 Staying Married to Avoid Dating28:59 Hormones and Midlife Intimacy33:15 Mental Load and Weaponized Incompetence35:53 Why This Keeps Happening38:46 Choosing Stability Over Divorce39:33 Wrap Up and Where to Find Us

Beating the Heat, Better Sleep, and Finding Your VillageJoy and Claire discuss relentless August heat in Colorado/Moab, irritability, sweating, and perimenopause questions. Joy shares progress on 3:00 AM wake-ups after taking Pure Synergy’s Vital Ocean Magnesium and they talk about individualized approaches including hormones, ashwagandha, and sleep environment. They tangent to Thorne’s acquisition by Procter & Gamble and concerns about ingredient quality after big buyouts. They credit listener Justine for “This is my body today,” reflect on pull-ups and shifting fitness goals, celebrate using fitness to move a couch, and explore the value of nearby community after Joy's childhood best friend moves close. They end with “what a time to be alive” trends: blepharoplasty and Taylor Swift’s minor haircut.00:00 Summer Heat Check00:45 Humidity Meltdown Story02:16 Perimenopause and Irritability04:13 Dressing for Colorado Weather05:17 Handheld Cooling Gadget07:42 Night Sweats and 3AM Wakeups09:03 Magnesium Sleep Breakthrough10:54 Thorne Acquisition Talk17:12 Supplements and Skepticism20:13 Acupuncture Reset and Therapy Dogs21:56 Neck Injury Backstory23:35 Bodywork And Fascia Relief24:03 Ticklishness And Pedicures25:35 Tickle Torture Memories26:24 This Is My Body Today Credit27:39 Pullups And Seasonality30:26 Shelving Fitness Goals31:44 Moving A Couch Using Fitness34:42 Donkeys Strength And Pop Culture35:49 Craving Village And Community44:21 Bleph Trend And New Insecurities49:18 Taylor Swift Hair Clickbait49:48 Wrap Up And Where To Find Us

Affirming Care, Perimenopause, and the Times We’re In (with Rebecca from Folx)On Older and Wilder, hosts Claire and Joy talk with Rebecca (Laugh Cry Club) about debunking mental-health misinformation and Rebecca’s work at Folx, a telehealth company providing affirming LGBTQIA+ healthcare, including gender-affirming hormone therapy, primary care, and mental health services. They discuss barriers and non-affirming experiences in traditional healthcare, explain that gender-affirming care is careful, assessment-based, and not the sensationalized narratives about minors, and note gatekeeping like required WPATH letters for adult surgeries. The conversation shifts to perimenopause/menopause, covering brain fog, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and sudden mental-health drops, with hormones helping some and emphasizing not to self-gaslight and to seek specialized care. They also touch on workplace normalization, compassion over “I suffered so you should,” and share “What a Time to Be Alive” moments.01:11 True Crime Riff01:54 HOA And Neighborhood Drama03:14 What Folx Does04:56 Barriers In Healthcare07:33 Affirming Intake Process09:43 Trans Care Education15:12 Gatekeeping And WPATH Letters18:35 Trans Athletes Mythbusting20:38 Perimenopause Mental Health24:40 Rebecca Symptoms And HRT27:01 3AM Wakeups And Sleep27:42 Sleep Heat Fixes28:25 Perimenopause Mood Spiral29:54 Medication and Hormone Help34:34 Rage and No Fs37:18 Care Is Affirming38:09 Workplace Brain Fog42:00 What a Time Segment47:12 Texas THC Crackdown51:11 Wrap Up and Japan Plug

Tinned Fish Corner, Back-to-School Heat, and Pushing Back on the Skinny ComebackJoy and Claire catch up in August before pivoting to parenting in 105-degree heat and the chaos of changing summer camps ahead of back-to-school. They share fall anticipation and Trader Joe’s favorites, quick high-protein lunches, and considerations like mercury and wild-caught vs farmed fish. The conversation broadens to fiber, digestion, and how diet culture evolved from macro counting to Whole30, including fears of overeating and “food noise.” They discuss GLP-1 discourse, cultural pressure toward skinniness, and a Liz Plank essay about celebrity bodies triggering past disordered thinking, emphasizing strength, health, and sustainability over thinness.00:00 August Swift Talk00:51 Secret Wedding Theories04:13 Back to School Chaos05:47 Fall Vibes Shopping06:28 Sardine Trend Tips09:33 Tinned Fish Lunch Routine10:40 Mercury and Wild Caught14:16 Fiber Protein Focus18:50 Whole30 Flashback21:04 Food Rules and Noise24:48 Food Noise Returns25:40 GLP-1 Culture Concerns27:08 Celebrity Bodies Trigger28:26 Fighting Skinny Ideal32:21 Health Over Trends35:28 Insecurity Bandwagons37:51 Body Appreciation Talk41:57 Jeans and Body Humor44:10 Fad Diet Flashbacks47:20 Pinterest and Tattoos49:58 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Naps, Diet Culture, and Warming Up for LongevityJoy and Claire open by joking about short naps and then reflect on how a recent episode sparked strong listener response about diet culture’s persistence and evolution, including new medications. They discuss the CrossFit Games’ apparent production and organization issues, and how old photos from macro-counting days resurfaced, prompting a visceral reaction to being extremely lean and the “strong is the new skinny” era that normalized food scales and constant tracking. A friend’s use of peptides for recovery and appetite-adjacent effects raises questions about “tools” versus triggering body-image and diet mindsets, with concerns about internet-pitched weight-loss drugs. The conversation shifts to aging and workouts—needing longer warmups, soreness after running with younger relatives, choosing safer exercise substitutions, and prioritizing “fitness to say yes” for everyday life. They critique viral nutrition claims, chat about Strava culture, mention AI-driven cheating prevention in online tests, invite listeners to share “I have to warm up now” moments, and plug their Japan 2028 trip and contact info.00:00 Welcome and nap talk00:55 Diet culture backlash01:46 CrossFit Games chaos03:18 Macro era memories05:04 Strong is new skinny07:21 Peptides and body tools11:04 Slippery slope of dieting12:58 Aging and workout reality17:56 Running with younger cousins20:42 Owning the weight room22:26 Strava Culture Shock24:15 Warmups Over Winning25:27 Longevity Mindset Shift28:04 Fitness for Real Life31:01 Letting Go of PRs33:45 Fitness to Say Yes34:50 McCoy Window Escape38:24 Viral Wellness Nonsense40:32 What a Time Online43:26 Wrap Up and Japan Trip

Joy and Claire recap Claire’s trip and an Indian-Jewish wedding featuring elaborate bridal henna. They start a segment on being grateful for fitness and a “marriage hack” involving Nordstrom Anniversary Sale clothes. The conversation shifts to evolving body image, past macro-counting/CrossFit diet culture harms, and mixed feelings about GLP-1s and cosmetic fixes, plus personal body-change wishes. They close with “What a Time to Be Alive” moments and a Japan trip launching August 15 for May 2028. 00:00 Welcome Back and Henna01:41 Haircut Waitlist Madness02:55 National Park Permit Frenzy03:47 Wedding Glass Mishap04:48 Grateful for Fitness06:51 Bike Lifting and Costco Strength11:13 Nordstrom Marriage Hack15:32 Body Image Mindset Shift18:08 Beauty Standards and Insecurities21:30 Macro Counting Flashback25:37 Macro Hunger Wakeups26:26 Diet Culture Red Flags26:57 GLP-1 Temptation Talk27:39 Postpartum Body Shift29:45 Fitness Without Obsession32:47 Cosmetic Fixes And Filler35:16 Toxins And Foot Baths37:13 Muscle Gains And Gym Insecurities38:45 Body Changes We Wanted46:21 What A Time To Be Alive50:55 Wrap Up And Japan Trip

Skunked Dogs, Puppy Tummy Trouble, and a Midlife Culture CheckJoy and Claire share life updates from a random episode: Claire is in Colorado for the week for a friend’s wedding and a hectic round of visiting friends and kids’ friends; she and Brandon started watching and loving Ted Lasso. Back in Moab, their dog River got skunked late at night. Joy recounts taking puppy McCoy to the vet for tummy issues. They discuss concerns about ultra-thin celebrity trends, fillers, and weight-loss drugs, note Joy’s Morpheus8 results and improved Botox longevity, share a positive recovery update on Ronnie Z amid nearby Colorado wildfires, touch on tick-related alpha-gal syndrome, and end with “would you rather” questions and glucose-monitor/berberine reflections.00:00 Colorado Catch Up01:32 Kids Flying Solo02:09 Desert Heat Problems03:34 Starting Ted Lasso04:40 River Gets Skunked10:30 Celebrity Thinness Talk17:30 Body Image And Aging19:32 McCoy Vomiting Mystery20:43 Missing Dog Tag Clue21:41 Mystery Tag Found22:38 3AM Staircase Disaster24:22 Carpet Cleaner Saves Day26:53 Probiotics Fixes27:32 Morpheus8 Update28:20 Ronnie Z Recovery29:01 Wildfire Worries30:24 Tick Meat Allergy32:31 Would You Rather Game33:00 Glucose Monitor Check In34:54 More Would You Rathers40:19 Wrap Up And Goodbye