🎙️ EPISODE 108 — 40 Things I’ve Learned by 40 (Part 1): The Messy Half

🎙️ EPISODE 108 — “40 Things I’ve Learned by 40 (Part 1): The Messy Half”

Your girl is turning 40 on Tuesday (what the actual hell 😅), so we’re kicking off a two-part birthday series where I break down the real, raw, and ridiculously honest things I’ve learned on my way to the big 4-0.

This week?
👉 The messy half.
👉 The “why did no one warn me adulthood was like this?” half.
👉 The “I’m tired because life keeps lifing” half.

Fresh off my birthday trip to Austin — complete with flight delays, Texas heat that smacked me in the face, and a two-hour tarmac sit — I’m back with a drink in hand and a whole lot of midlife awareness to unload. 🍹🔥

✨ Inside This Episode

We’re diving into the first 20 things I’ve learned before turning 40 — the unfiltered, chaotic truths like:

💙 carrying the emotional load for everyone
💙 why peace feels uncomfortable when you grew up in chaos
💙 the reality of communication (and why I’m not a mind reader)
💙 overstimulation disguised as anger
💙 friendships that fade without drama
💙 rest, rage, boundaries, and the mental load of motherhood
💙 how overwhelm is a season, not a personality trait

No shame. No sugarcoating. Just real talk, a little sarcasm, and a ton of “holy crap… same.”

🍉 This Week’s Sip

I’m cracking open Austin Eastciders Watermelon Imperial — a fave I didn’t get to try in Austin because apparently their taproom is gone?? (Rude.)
Sweet, crisp, and zero “dry champagne yeast” aftertaste. 10/10 would drink again. 🍉✨

🧠 Why This Episode Matters

Midlife comes with layers: motherhood, marriage, work, emotional labor, identity shifts, overstimulation, and this weird pressure to “have it all figured out.”
Spoiler: No one does.
But we can figure it out together — one drink, one meltdown, and one chaotic episode at a time. 💙

🌪️ Big Takeaway This Week

Overwhelmed isn’t who you are — it’s the season you’re in.
And seasons change. (Even if your kids’ after-school activities don’t. 😩)

🎧 Listen In

Pour your drink, take a breath, and settle in.
Part 2 drops next week with the clearer, grown-woman-energy half — the “I survived all that chaos and came out wiser” version of me. (Shocking, I know. 😂)

💬 If This Episode Hit Home…

Share it with a friend, leave a review, or scream into the void — whatever feels right.
Either way, I appreciate you being here in the chaos with me. 💙

Stay real. Stay chaotic. Keep a drink close.
— Stef 🍹✨