Cynthia and Josie's Unmentionables

Why do so many women turn into Bridezillas? How much is too much to spend on “the dress”? What is it about weddings that make everyone so horny except for the bride and groom? In this episode we share our marital memories and unpack a whole bunch of unmentionables with Wedding planner extraordinaire Trevor Frankfort.   For more info on Trevor and how to book him for your next event: https://trevents.caTrevents — Wedding & Event PlanningTrevents — Wedding & Event Planningtrevents.ca   To write us with your unmentionable ideas: hello@cynthiaandjosie.com

We asked you for your most unmentionable questions and boy, you did not disappoint. In this hilarious and heartfelt episode, we answer your queries and give advice on everything from what makes good lingerie to what can be done in a sexless marriages, from family planning regrets to adjusting to new jobs and everything in between.       As always, we love hearing from you. Send us your thoughts and ideas for future podcast to hello@cynthiaandjosie.com.   Link to: Mindful Sex by Dr. Lori Brotto https://www.amazon.ca/Better-Sex-through-Mindfulness-Cultivate/dp/1771642351

Many people argue that kids these days aren’t as strong because they all receive “participation” ribbons or trophies.  They say that if there isn’t a clear “winner”, kids will grow up weak and will be less inclined to work hard. In this episode we share some recent tough parenting moments that illuminate some of the problems with this argument.

Recently, Josie found herself at the non-off leash park near her house. When she kindly asked a man to leash his dog because her son was terrified, he adamantly refused. In a fit of anger, he hurled the label "Karen" at Josie.   In this episode, we delve into the origins, evolution, and lessons behind the term "Karen." Have you ever pondered where this name and its meaning originated? Have you ever wondered if you've accidentally channeled your inner Karen? And hey, what's a person named Karen to do in all this?   Join us as we unpack these questions and more with Refinery 29’s Kathleen Newman-Bremang. Together, we explore the complexities surrounding this term and the insights it offers into societal attitudes and behaviors.

Have you ever found yourself getting turned on by something strange? Things like gym equipment or giant nostrils? How about gardening noises or the arm hair on a stranger?  In this episode we share some of the beautifully bizarre things that people have found unexpectedly erotic..and our other halves even share theirs!

Have you ever asked “the universe” for guidance? Cynthia did, and you’ll never guess what happened next. This episode is a journey filled with laughter, tears, and some revelations we've never dared to share including conversations with trees, ghostly encounters, and our thoughts on the mysteries of life after death.

In light of International Women’s Day, we  wanted to celebrate, not only each other, but women we admire. So we started by writing letters of love to one another because, let’s be honest, even though you might have all kinds of feels for your good girlfriends: how often do you tell them? We also sit down with activist and curve model model, Lauren Chan about how she deals with online haters, how her body image has changed since coming out, and she gives advice for all of us on how to love our bodies better.Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions around body, so just protect yourself if that’s a topic that sensitive for youFor more information on Lauren, check out her IG @lcchan. Follow us on Instagram @cynthiaandjosie We hope you will pass this episode along to any women you love today!! And if you want to send us a love letter, our email is hello@cynthiaandjosie.com

On the road of life we are faced with many different paths which will inevitably lead us to different destinations. Should we move to a new city or stay put? Should we date this person or that person? Should we have kids or remain childless? Should we stay or leave our job?    Wouldnt it be nice if we all knew the keys to making big life decisions without regret? In this episode we go through them all: from the value of making some decisions very quickly, to learning not to fear failure. From checking in with our deep inner voice, to consulting with our wisest friends - we also share some of our insights and experiences when it comes to making big life changes.    On the road of life we are faced with many different paths which will inevitably lead us to different destinations. Should we move to a new city or stay put? Should we date this person or that person? Should we have kids or remain childless? Should we stay or leave our job?    Wouldnt it be nice if we all knew the keys to making big life decisions without regret? In this episode we go through them all: from the value of making some decisions very quickly, to learning not to fear failure. From checking in with our deep inner voice, to consulting with our wisest friends - we also share some of our insights and experiences when it comes to making big life changes.

The very first book that Cynthia picked up when she went on stress leave was a NYT bestseller called “Burnout: The Secret To Unlocking The Stress Cycle”.    In this episode we are joined by one of the books authors, Amelia Nagoski to talk about the book and her burnout journey. She also gives tips on everything from the signs of burnout, why human “givers” are more likely to experience it, and what we can all do to start to heal from it.    The audio version of Burnout is now out and available HERE   Also, Amelia’s sister and co-author Emily wasn’t able to make it to our interview because she is out promoting a brand new book out about sex called: Come Together: the science (and art!) of creating lasting sexual connections. For more info:  https://www.emilynagoski.com   Our Website is www.cynthiaandjosie.com or email us at hello@cythiaandjosie.com

Do you low-key hate Valentine’s day? Do all of the garish red decorations and chocolate dipped hearts have you asking yourself if this “holiday” is more about selling shit than helping lovers truly connect? In the spirit of actually making your relationship better, we have a list of questions that research suggests you should ask yourself and/or your long term partner every year as part of your maintenance. Questions like: do you still hold hands? Is the sex fun or a chore? Are you afraid of having an empty nest, and so much more. We hope you will do this with your other half, and let us know how it goes!!   Links: For more info on The Marriage Audit: go  HERE For more info on KY Canada: KY To leave a glowing review for us (for which we would love you forever(!), visit us here and scroll down to the bottom: REVIEW And we always love hearing your ideas and feedback. Send it our way to: hello@cynthiaandjosie.com

In the wake of the sexually explicit AI generated images of Taylor Swift that went viral, many of us are thinking about the future of sex tech and how it will impact us. Is it all downright scary or will there be some opportunities for pleasure? In this episode, we speak with tech expert Amber MacArthur, about the good, the bad, and the downright scary implications of this fast growing industry, and unpack why there is an urgent need for regulations in this space.     For more on amber: AmberMac.comambermac.com   And on IG : @ambermac To check out our website go here: Website IG:  @CynthiaandJosie

If you were dating someone who was great at the beginning but after a while made you feel like garbage - you would probably dump that person, right? Or at least see them way less?   Whether you are doing a damp or dry January or just starting to think about this relationship this is a MUST LISTEN episode.     We share our experiences and also chat with Canadian icon #JannArden about her journey quitting alcohol and how leaving it behind has helped her creatively.  She also talks about her new book, The Bittlemores. (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/734047/the-bittlemores-by-jann-arden/9781039008717)   For more information about Jann and her upcoming projects, visit: https://www.jannarden.com   If you’re curious about the full list of symptoms for alcohol use disorder, visit here: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder   And if you’re struggling, here are a few resources:   https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/get-help-with-substance-use.html   https://thisnakedmind.com     Also, take a listen to our last episode with Jann titled:  "I Heard You Slept With Jann Arden"

Cynthia and Josie both had big changes in their lives this week: Josie started a brand new job in radio ( Click Here)  and Cynthia went back to her old job in television (Click Here) in a new way. Of course, there were some tears. And with tears come a whole lot of feelings…   Why are we so afraid of showing vulnerability, especially in the workplace? What if the answer to a lot of our problems could be fixed if we were all a little more vulnerable?       *****Also, if you are just catching up on what’s been happening with Cynthia, you might want to go HERE and then HERE.   And if you are following us on Apple Podcasts, they had a funky update and you might now be “paused”. If you can tap the plus + button in the upper right corner to make sure you are getting every new episode we would really appreciate.   As always, we love hearing from you - especially those of you who have questions and stories about #burnout. Email us at hello@cynthiaandjosie.com.

We live in an era where, thankfully, society is embracing and celebrating body diversity more than ever before. And yet behind closed doors, we all still often hear people whispering about their own body issues.   If we do want to lose weight, how do we ensure we do it in a healthy, sustainable way and that doesn’t break the bank or kill our joy?  In this episode we tackle this fraught unmentionable with author and podcaster, Gina Livy who has created her own answer to this age-old dilemma. *trigger warning: this conversation talks about weight loss and disordered eating   Gina’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/weigh-in-with-gina/id1605204908‎Weigh In with Gina on Apple Podcasts‎Health & Fitness · 2024podcasts.apple.com   Also if you are an Apple subscriber can you do us a solid?  Open your Apple app where you get your podcasts, search for Cynthia and Josie's Unmentionables. So If you see a plus sign and you want to subscribe to this show, just press that plus sign. Or if you see a download sign, you can go and download whatever show you want, but we definitely want you to still subscribe. We want the shows to show up on your phone when we put them out!! THANK YOU

After months of being on stress/burnout leave, Cynthia gives an update on how she’s doing. And while she’s not completely on the other side, there are a few things (that are simple and free!) that she is doing differently in 2024. So, If you haven’t made your resolutions yet, grab a pen and paper and get ready to be inspired (even while you eye roll lol) Have questions for our burnout expert? Send them to hello@cynthiaandjosie.com Also we love hearing from you - come follow us @cynthiaandjosie on social media!! Finally, we would be forever grateful if you like our show - please make sure you are following ours so you never miss an episode! (even if you did it before, you might have to do it again as there were some tech things that we don’t understand but are annoying all the same).

This episode was recorded a week following the November six episode titled "It’s Been a Hard Few Weeks." But just before posting the episode, we made the decision to hold off. Cynthia was sorting out work details and we felt it best for us to stop recording and prioritize her mental health. Recognizing some of the important information in this podcast, we're airing it now.  If you want to check out our website go here.

Are you thinking of a career in radio, television or content creation? In this episode we talk about our weird career journeys: how we got here, who helped us (or didn’t ) and what we would have done differently if we could do it all again.  Josie shares a secret about a bold career move she’s making and how she made that challenging decision.

No parent is ever really prepared for the question “where do babies come from?” but thankfully there are ways you don’t have to make it as weird as our parents did. In this episode, we chat with sex educator and author Cory Silverberg about theirnewest book, “You Know, Sex” and learn how to chat in curious and age appropriate ways about body parts, consent, identity, porn and other so-called “unmentionable” topics (we promise it’s not as scary as it sounds!)   For more information on Cory Silverberg and all of their books: https://www.corysilverberg.com You can also follow them @corysilverberg    **You asked for a longer episode so we brought it!! Let us know what you think! We think this episode really needs to be listened to in its entirety but for those who like to jump around, below are some time codes where you can jump around to various topics.   @03:00 – Cory shares what it was like growing up with a father who was a sex therapist (spoiler: it wasn’t like the show Sex Education lol)   @05:27 – We chat about shame and where it ACTUALLY comes from   @07:20 – What the research says when it comes to kids trusting their parents when it comes to sex education   @07:47 -Josie asks about what she can say to her two kids about sex in an age appropriate way (When they start asking about sperm!!)   @11:55– Why you shouldn’t panic when kids ask about sex…because it’s not really always about sex!   @13:07 – How to answer the question “where do babies come from?” in a way that doesn’t have to be about sex (intercourse) at all!!   @14:40 – Is slang okay or should we be encouraging kids use “proper” names for genitals?   @16:35 – What age do kids actually start knowing their sexuality and how they identify?   @21:57 – How to talk about sex and baby making when your child has a disability      @28:45 -  The average age kids are first seeing porn (It’s younger than you think!), what can we do to protect them, and how we can talk to them about it.   @36:55 – why you need good sex education books around the house   @37:52 - Tips for parents who feel completely lost when it comes to starting “the talk”, how you can start to get kids to think critically about things like sexism and relationship stereotypes.     If you’re looking for even more, you can find some other sex education resources here: https://findyourpleasure.com/world-sexual-health-day/ https://findyourpleasure.com/kids-need-sexuality-education/

Over 50 years ago, a psychologist named Arthur Aron who was studying relationships, created a list of 36 questions that he claimed could lead to love.The questions range from light-hearted topics to some seriously deep and unmentionable stuff. But here’s the big question: do they really work?    In this episode, Cynthia and Josie answer (most) of the 36 questions in the hopes that you will try them out on your next date night. Or at least laugh along with us while we do.     Here are the questions:   https://cynthiaandjosie.com/unmentionables/36-questions-to-fall-in-love/   *****If you do these on your next date or with your friends – let us know how it went!!  You can reach us at hello@cynthiaandjosie.com And if you have it in your heart to rate and review our podcast on Apple, we would really appreciate it. (But only if you really like us lol). Finally, Cynthia is still on a break but we are getting your messages and sending them all her way. Updates to come soon. Stay tuned by following us on socials @cynthiaandjosie.

Listen, we know last week was intense and emotional so first up, we have an update on Cynthia.  But then, we bring you something that we recorded waaaay back during the summer.  And boy, do we hope it makes you laugh as much as we did. This episode is all about the fantasy that shall not be named. But if you're a mom (okay maybe even a few dads) we GUARANTEE it has crossed your mind.  Hint: it starts with a “D”.We love hearing from you! Send in your #unmentionable stories and ideas to hello@cynthiaandjosie.comAlso, did you know that our theme song are by the most amazing band Nobro? You can download their music here: https://www.nobroband.com/And of course we have a YouTube channel that we hope you will check out here: You Tube