Aging Millennials AF

As promised earlier in the season, episode 13 is all about the one and only Taylor Swift. For their bonus episode, Amanda and Stephanie finally get to unleash their inner Swifties. You never know where Taylor tangent can take you, but they share their dreams for the 10 minute All Too Well and their favorite songs, lyrics, albums, eras, and more. For any other Swifties out there, this episode is not to be missed!

To quote Queen Bey, "who run the world? GIRLS!" In the Season One finale episode, Amanda and Stephanie discuss what it means to be a female aging millennial based on their own personal experiences. They also reveal their female role models, favorite females in pop culture, and more!

To tackle the important topic of finances and debt, Amanda and Stephanie have guest host (and Amanda's sister) Rachael join them to share her own personal story with student loans and credit card debt. While not meant to provide advice specific to anyone's particular situation, many aging millennials may relate to the financial journey Rachael has navigated the past 15+ years and continues to navigate today - taking out student loans, graduating during the Great Recession of 2009, taking out additional loans to pay for grad school, and amassing credit card debt. And although Amanda and Stephanie did not take Rachael's suggestion to have a BTS themed Pop Culture Club, the topic of nostalgic snacks and food (think all your favorites from the '90s) will likely leave everyone wanting to go out and buy a Ring Pop. 

In an exercise that proved much easier said than done, Amanda and Stephanie pick out 13 songs (and a few... okay maybe more than a few honorable mentions) that make up the soundtrack to their lives. These songs bring back memories, take them back to a certain place or time, and hold a special place in their hearts. And it's likely other millennials might feel a connection to these songs too. To balance out the nostalgia of building their soundtracks, the Pop Culture Club is all about now: what Amanda and Stephanie are watching, reading, listening to, and following now. 

We've all been shaped by various events that occurred in different chapters of our lives. In this episode, Amanda and Stephanie share personal events and moments that shaped them, as well as the societal and cultural events that other millennials may share as defining moments during our time. 

Amanda and Stephanie let their fandom flags fly. The two proudly share their fandoms, including the craziest (and perhaps nerdiest) thing they've done for their favorites. Don't cringe Gen Z, but yes, they do also discuss what could arguably be the defining fandom of millennials, Harry Potter, and spend time discussing being inclusive and an ally for transgender Potter fans. The episode concludes with a Pop Culture Club focused on comfort content - the movies, shows, books, and music Amanda and Stephanie turn to time and time again.

Trigger Warning: On what can be a tough topic for them, as well as potentially for others, Amanda and Stephanie tackle diet culture. Although a far cry for health and wellness experts and certainly not here to provide advice, as aging millennials, Amanda and Stephanie have been navigating body image, diets, and societal standards for the majority of their lives. The episode is reflective of their experiences. And because no episode of AMAF would be complete without the Pop Culture Club, Amanda and Stephanie share some strong opinions (and maybe some differing opinions) on who and what has been underrated throughout the years. Their answers may or may not surprise you. 

You've probably noticed (as you lean into life as an aging millennial) that your to-do list has been piling up with new things you never knew you needed to think about before: medical procedures, learning to fix things yourself vs. hiring someone to fix things, new skin care routines, retirement and/or budgeting to pay expenses... the list is endless and ever changing. Amanda and Stephanie get into all this and more on this episode with a special guest, Maureen!

Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and a return to a new normal is on the horizon, Amanda and Stephanie are both grateful, but a bit anxious for what this new normal will bring. On this episode, they discuss their worries and what's already causing them stress. Amanda and Stephanie also share their experiences with the "normal" events they've attended thus far, and what they're excited to return to again. The episode closes out with a Pop Culture Club dedicated to live experiences - memorable concerts, memorable moments, and hope to do it all again soon. *Note: It is understood the pandemic is not yet over, and this topic of conversation is future-looking. 

In this episode, Amanda and Stephanie explore the topic of work and jobs, covering first jobs (what is a mother's helper anyway?), if they are even using their degree and what, if anything, they've learned about themselves in the job search process. The episode closes with a Pop Culture Club dedicated to fashion trends of years past. 

Amanda and Stephanie explore the topic of celebrity crushes, from who they are crushing on now to who was their first celebrity crush (spoiler: some aged well, some didn't and some are embarrassing), what their favorite boy band member says about them, and also how social media and our current environment have raised the stakes on a crush. This episode's Pop Culture Club is themed "I can't believe you haven't seen" where Amanda and Stephanie point out shows the other hasn't seen and why that's concerning.   

In their second episode, Amanda and Stephanie give a bit more background info on how they know each other before diving into the main topic, "Things We Wish People Knew". As part of this episode, they share and discuss things they wish: Their married/coupled friends knewTheir friends with kids knewPeople in general knewThe Pop Culture Club focus is on Taylor Swift re-recording her previous albums (hint: Amanda and Stephanie are excited for it.)

Welcome to Aging Millennials AF and meet the hosts! Amanda and Stephanie are two Aging Millennials ready to discuss their experiences - the good, the bad, and the ugly. For this inaugural episode, join them as they discuss the origins of this podcast and the timely topic of all things at home.