On Our Best Behavior
On Our Best Behavior is a heartwarming podcast where Mom, Kelli and 16-year-old son, Maccoy delve into the complexities of school, life's struggles, highs and lows, and various challenges. With a blend of humor and sincerity, they navigate through these topics while sharing their own experiences and insights. Their conversations are not only relatable but also enlightening, offering listeners a fresh perspective on everyday issues. Alongside their engaging discussions, they welcome intriguing guests, adding a dynamic element to each episode. Tune in to join this duo on their journey of growth, learning, and discovery.
On Our Best Behavior
A Solo Episode
Sometimes life throws you curveballs that force you to adapt on the fly. In this candid solo episode, Kelli opens up about navigating recent mental health struggles while managing her homestead, podcast, and day job as a single mom. When you're feeling overwhelmed, who shows up for you? Kelli shares how her inner circle rallied around her birthday celebration despite her uncharacteristic lack of enthusiasm this year.
Ever wonder what happens when chickens go broody without a rooster? Kelli takes us through her delightful "Three Hens and a Baby" situation—where three maternal hens collectively care for a single hatched chick after she introduced fertilized eggs. But homestead life isn't all baby chicks and sunshine; she's now dealing with her first-ever possum and raccoon sightings threatening her animals.
The episode delves into powerful personal growth concepts from Mel Robbins' "The Let Them Theory," exploring how releasing our need to control others' actions can lead to greater peace and emotional freedom. Kelli shares how the simple mantra "let them" has transformed her daily interactions and perspective on boundaries. She also offers book recommendations, Netflix suggestions, and updates on her plans to declutter her extensive Pyrex collection.
While Maccoy takes a break from podcasting during this summer season, Kelli announces upcoming guest co-hosts including her best friend Emily and Bigfoot Bob. Could a podcast rebranding be in the future? Tune in to this authentic, unfiltered conversation that feels like catching up with a good friend over coffee—complete with homestead drama, mental health insights, and the real-life balancing act we're all trying to master.
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You're listening to another episode of On Our Best Behavior, and today you're here with Just Me Kelly Well, I guess Baby Biscuit is in this studio somewhere too, who is the wild bunny that I am helping rehab until he or she is big enough to be released into the outdoors. So anyway, let me tell you where we're at here. So I'm giving McCoy a break. We did not put out an episode last week. We tried to get you some quality content, but we couldn't get it done. Mackie is going through puberty. He has been very tired and he just hasn't had the desire to want to do a podcast, and so I'm going to respect his wishes and I'm going to try to go forward without him. There's going to be a few times where he'll hop on, especially throughout the summer. We kind of do a more casual schedule. Anyway, I am excited to let you know that I do have some guest co-hosts that are going to be on the podcast, including my best friend Emily, the podcast, including my best friend Emily and Bigfoot Bob from the Bigfoot Club podcast, who I know that you have heard me talk about. Robert and Steven have been a guest on Our Best Behavior before, as I have been a guest on their podcast. So anyway, we're going to kind of collaborate and work together.
Speaker 1:Last week was a really mental health tougher for me and I think for Mac too. It was just really gloomy. I was just to be honest, without going into too much detail, my life has been not 100% where I want it to be right now, so I was really struggling with that. It actually was my birthday yesterday and I was really struggling with my birthday coming up last week, not really having any plans or excitement for my birthday and I am a birthday person, I celebrate my birthday all month and sort of feel like kind of a cloud of doom just hanging over me. I just was really struggling with that. However, my family and friends rallied around me and I'm so appreciative that I have them in my life. My sister Kate took me to the Hope Breakfast Bar there's actually a new location that just opened up in Blaine, so that was lovely and she paid, so that's always lovely. And then for my birthday dinner I went out with Emily and Jen, who are my two best girlfriends, and they took me out to Acapulco and showered me with gifts and love and laughs and everything that I needed, so that was really great. On my birthday, mackie and I had a Dairy Queen cake, which the cake is large, right, so I get to enjoy a slice every night until it's gone. And I am that kind of person who I was like all right, I'm going to do a podcast by myself.
Speaker 1:Mccoy didn't have much faith in me. He's like how are you going to do a podcast by yourself? And I said I don't know if you've met me, but I can talk to myself for a really long time, so I think I can pull it off, we'll see. He's like okay, mom. So he didn't have a lot of belief in me, which I feel like that's right. As parents, we put forth a lot of belief into our children, and when I was a kid, I remember not having a lot of faith in my own parents. So you know, I can't really expect much from him. So hopefully he is surprised and impressed. So, and then I for the first time in a long time, I actually worked on my birthday a full day. But Wendy made my work day very special, my birthday very special, and she brought in my favorite bagels, showered me with gifts and love and treats, and I could not have a better person that I spend most of my awake life with. So I'm very thankful for you, wendy.
Speaker 1:The day before my birthday I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck. I couldn't get out of bed and I was trying really hard. I'm like, all right, I'm going to get up, I'm going to get motivated, I'm going to do some stuff outside. It was beautiful out. That usually really, really helps me. But I just started to feel I'm like, okay, I still don't feel great. It was like 11 o'clock, 1045. And I said, okay, I'm going to force myself to eat something, maybe that will take some ibuprofen, lay down on the couch until like noon and see if I feel better. And I just felt really dizzy and nauseous. So I don't know what was going on. And then I was really worried like, oh, now I'm going to feel sick on my birthday and that's like the last thing in the whole world that I want. I don't think I've ever been sick on my birthday, knock on wood. But anyway, I ended up taking a nap. I woke up at about 2.30, 3 o'clock and felt like back to normal. So I don't know what was going on, but that definitely was an icky, icky feeling, all right.
Speaker 1:So updates in our lives. I'm going to talk about Mac, since he's not here to talk for himself, which you know what. It actually might be a lot more enjoyable not listening to him say I don't know, I don't got nothing. What else does he say? Coping mechanism. So hey, maybe this will be better. Let me know what you think.
Speaker 1:So right now I am trying to work on having a garage sale and getting everything organized. This is how I know that I am old, but if you know me, you know that I collect Pyrex and vintage glass and over the past five years I have a collection that is out of control and I think about all the time like if I were to die, what is my family going to do with all of this stuff, like what a headache to have to deal with it, go through it, figure out what's worth something, what's not worth anything. So anyway, I'm trying to get all that organized and have a big garage sale. I don't know if it's going to be a big garage sale, we'll see. I feel like I have a lot of stuff that I want to purge and I really want to go through all my vintage glass and kind of just sell off what I don't need. I was trying to build a lot of sets and collections and whatnot and I just kind of don't have the oomph to do that anymore. Now that I'm in my homestead chicken era, bunny era, whatever you want to call it I just don't really have the time or energy to want to spend all my money on Pyrex anymore, especially like my house I don't live in a big house, so what do I? It just kind of all sits in my basement and I try to rotate it out and what I display, but I can only really display so much at one time. So anyway, I'm going to keep my very beloved pieces and just kind of sell off the random pieces that I have. So if you follow me and you know about my Pyrex collection and you're interested in it, I will be putting something out on social media when it's going to happen.
Speaker 1:Like I said, I have a lot of work ahead of me and I'm kind of just trying to go through and figure out what I want to do. I kind of want to just have a table like this table Everything's a dollar. This table, everything's $10. This table, everything's $15 kind of deal. So I'm working on that. I have a ton of scrubs that I want to get rid of. I have a ton of DVDs CDs I don't even know if people want that anymore, but I'm just going to kind of put it out there. And whatever people want to buy, perfect. Otherwise, I'm just going to donate it to. There's a really great organization here in Anoka called Hope for Youth, and so I'm going to kind of see with, like what I have for clothes and CDs and DVDs, if that's anything that they would be interested in. I also have some randomness things. If it's something I haven't used or displayed in a long time, I'm probably just going to purge it. So I've been working on that. I went to the Dollar Tree and I got myself stuff to make garage sale signs. What else did I get there? Candy, so good Big thing.
Speaker 1:That happened, and if you follow me on social media and look at my stories, you'll see this. But anyway, a couple of my hens decided to go broody and what that means is they decided that they want to lay on eggs and hatch them. Well, I don't have a rooster, so that means that none of the eggs are fertilized. Therefore, they cannot turn into chicks because they, you know, whatever they're, just like humans, you have to have sperm and an egg to make a baby. So there's no sperm in my eggs.
Speaker 1:So anyway, I was like they were being broody for a while and I thought, you know what? I'm just going to put some feelers out there, see if I can find some fertilized eggs on Marketplace and let them sit on some eggs and see what happens. So I bought a dozen eggs and put them out there and they've never done this before, right, like they're not even one years old. I don't know anything about like the not breeding but just reproductive channeling of hens. So anyway, babies were due to hatch on June 1st and I went out there on June 1st because I had been kind of just looking every day like what's going on? Is anything happening? Sure enough, june 1st due date I lift up one of the hens and there's a baby under there. So one of the eggs hatched and that's the only egg that hatched. All the rest of them I don't know if they just kind of went rotten or they didn't get sad. You know it's a science. I've tried to incubate my own eggs. Didn't have much luck with that, so they hatched one egg. So I call it if you're old enough to know the movie Three Men and a Baby. I call this Three Hens and a Baby because there's three broody mama hens and one little baby, so they're really taking good care of her and it's really sweet to watch. All right Now, I know I was telling you how I've been having a really hard time being motivated and, to be honest, as a content creator and somebody who does not have a team of people doing any of the work for me, I write this podcast, I record this podcast, I produce this podcast and I put it out there for you to listen to, all by myself.
Speaker 1:I am a single mom and I work a full--time job and I have a homestead that I take care of. I just have a lot on my plate, all the things that I love, right? However, the one thing that gets put on the back burner a lot is the podcast. So I know I've been telling you about Magic Mind for some time and I just want to tell you that right now in my life, I don't really know how I would get by without Magic Mind, this drink. It's just a performance, mental performance shot Like it's not very much that you have to take and it contains a minimal amount of caffeine from matcha and other ingredients that provide sustained energy, that don't give you the jitters or any kind of crash, that provide sustained energy, that don't give you the jitters or any kind of crash.
Speaker 1:It has ingredients like lion's mane mushrooms, which I think are magical, and other ingredients that are believed to improve focus, memory and cognitive function. I can vouch for this. I instantly feel better every time I use Magic Mind. It has other great ingredients like ashwagandha and turmeric, and that helps manage stress and promote a sense of calm. And I always say at work like I'm going to keep the calm. I know that probably sounds funny if you know me outside of work, because I'm kind of like, but at work I feel like I'm pretty like one thing at a time. Chill attitude is everything you can. Only you know whatever. That's my mindset. So I always say like Mondays are usually my half day, and so when I leave I tell everyone at work like okay, you guys keep the calm, you got this, because usually when I leave they always say like the shit hits the fan. So the combination of the ingredients are intended to support cognitive function, reduce brain fog and boost overall mental performance, vitamin C, vitamin D, b-complex, like all these good things that we want to take anyway.
Speaker 1:They're already in the shot. So I've told you a million times give Magic Mind a shot. They have 100% money back. Guarantee that. I bet you they never have to cash in because it's proven to work. I've put my mouth where my money, my money where my mouth is, my mouth where money is many, many times and even excuse me, let people try it to kind of prove to them like, hey, this shit's legit. So anyway, remember code BESTMAY. I know it's June right now. I'm pretty sure that's still the code. If you have any issues with the code, you can let me know. But BESTMAY should give you 20% off a one-time purchase of Magic Mind. Or if you do the subscription, because you're like me and you forget that you run out and you forget to order more and you keep on telling yourself I have to do that, I have to do that, I have to do that, and then you never do it. Up to 48% off with the code and a subscription. It doesn't get better than that.
Speaker 1:You guys, if you are an Audible member like me, I just want to let you know that right now they have a huge sale going on and I was like trying to put all the books that I wanted in my cart and my total got up to like $198. And I was like, whoa, okay, kelly, you need to take a step back. But a lot of books right now are $3 or less, and a ton of them include Frida McFadden, who I love. Frida never fails is what I always say. Minka Kent is another one of my super favorite authors. A lot of her titles are on there. Natasha Preston a lot of her books are on there.
Speaker 1:So anyway, it's really hard for me because I want to go and buy all of them. But anyway, I need to narrow down my number of books. I only want to spend $20 to $25 on the book sale. But anyway, if you are an Audible member, make sure you check it out, it's great. And if you're not an Audible member, they don't even pay me to say this. I just love them so much. But they look into it. I think it's. My library is so long of books that I even have yet to read because so it looks tricky.
Speaker 1:You get one credit every month and it costs like $15 ish. However, a lot of times they have sales or deals where books are super cheap. They have a daily deal every day and I always look at that because sometimes it's a book that's on my wishlist and it's like $1.99 to $2.99. A lot of times they'll have two-for-one credit sales. So there's a lot of smart ways to kind of bank up your books on what you're reading and for the cost to stay minimal. Every once in a while I'll spend a whole credit on a book that everyone is really talking about or hyped up about, which I'm going to talk to you about one of those really soon here. But yeah, I think it's really great, it's really worth it.
Speaker 1:You can put things in your wishlist and kind of watch for them to go on sale. Whenever there's a two-for-one credit sale or like right now I think it's 85% off sale you can just go into your wishlist and then I always just do I'll either do like price low to high, and then it will show like kind of all those sales first. So it kind of helps you kind of organize and separate what you want to see. So then you can see like what's the cheap books on sale at an easy glance. So you should check it out. It's a good deal and Audible. You should listen to this and pay me to say that, because I am a true believer.
Speaker 1:So the last book that I spent a full credit on was I'm a really big fan of Mel Robbins. Oh, my goodness, I am so my allergies are so bad and I feel so nasally right now. I'm sorry. So, anyway, my friend Jen read this book and she told me, like Kelly, with everything going on in your life right now, you really need to read this book next. And so I promised her that I would. And it is called the Let them Theory Super popular right now. You might have heard about it.
Speaker 1:The let them theory Super popular right now. You might have heard about it, but anyway, the overview of the book is that Mel Robbins I think I love her voice she has a podcast. I listen to that every night when I go to bed. I feel like it really puts some good energy into my brain and gives me good sleep and gives me just good things to focus on and be like oh yeah, oh yeah, I can do that, I should do that. And she's not like a licensed therapist or anything, but she's just like a. I don't know if she's like a motivational speaker, but she'll have a lot of guests on that are professionals at that topic. Anyway, it's really great.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, the let them theory suggests a shift in mindset where you stop trying to control or change others and you just let them. And when I was reading this book, it was surprising to me throughout my days how often I would just say Kelly, let them, let them, let them. So it really hit home to me how often it happens. And I think we all like to say I don't try to control people, I don't try to change others, I don't try to sway their opinion, but you do because it's human nature. So let them be who they are, let them think what they think and do what they do.
Speaker 1:This involves accepting that you cannot control others' actions and focusing on your own reactions and boundaries, because that's another thing I try to really focus on with all my self-help work that I'm trying to do on myself is I can only control me. I try not to give a reaction to people who are looking for one. So the core principle is that the idea is to accept that you can't control or change other people's thoughts, feelings or actions. You have to release the control Instead of trying to change others, the theory encourages you to let them be themselves, even if their behavior or opinions don't align with yours. By letting go of the desire to control others, you can direct your energy towards what you can control your own reactions, boundaries and choices. The mindset shift can lead to a sense of emotional freedom, as you are no longer burdened by the expectation of controlling others' behavior.
Speaker 1:How many times have you been in a situation where you're with somebody and they do something or say something that is so embarrassing You're like, oh my gosh, how could I even be associated with this person? But you just have to let them, especially if you're a grown adult. Like let them, and then you have to. There's another part in the book where it's called let me, and so that's like the part of what you can control versus what you can't control. The let them theory encourages you to understand that others' action are a reflection of them this is kind of what I was just saying, not you and to focus on your own reaction and your boundaries. By letting go of the need to control others, you can regain your personal power and focus on your own goals and well-being. Regain your personal power and focus on your own goals and well-being. The Let them Theory is closely related to setting boundaries. It encourages you to respect others' boundaries while also establishing your own. In essence, the Let them Theory is about accepting what you can't change and focusing on what you can, ultimately leading to a greater emotional freedom and a more peaceful life.
Speaker 1:So I highly recommend this book. If you don't want to pay for it, you can listen to her podcast, where it's called the Mel Robbins Podcast, wherever, and there's a million episodes on a million different topics and I can kind of go through and be like I don't really care about this. Oh, I want to hear about this. So, anyway, I feel like there is something for everybody on that podcast, and that book was a home run. So while we're on the topics of books, I'm going to let you know what I've been reading, while you haven't heard from me. I read more than I watch TV, more than I listen to music, more than anything. I love to read, or listen, as some people like to remind me.
Speaker 1:Anyway, another book that I read is called the Final Wife, and it is by Jenny Blackhurst. This book is deliciously sexy and twisted. It is a dark tale of revenge a woman's own till death, do us part. The husband is stabbed to death and his wife confesses after she is found next to his lifeless body. And if she did it, why can't she confirm any of the details of the crime? So police dig into the circumstances. They learn that the victim was a liar, a cheat and a narcissist. More than one person had a reason to want him dead His scorned ex, his neglected mistress, and Anna, who is his current wife, knows what happens when the husband gets bored of the wife's. So the husband had it coming, but who made sure he got what he deserved? The latest twisty propulsive psychological thriller from international bestseller Jenny Blackhurst perfect for fans of Adele Parks, claire Douglas and Sherry Lapina. So check this one out. It was pretty good, easy read.
Speaker 1:And lastly, on my journey of self-help and self-growth, another book that I read was called Embrace Discomfort by Michael Easter, and in an era where comfort and convenience are not just luxuries but expectations, the idea of intentionally introducing discomfort into our lives might seem almost radical. We tirelessly work to make our lives and those of our loved ones easier, more comfortable, work to make our lives and those of our loved ones easier, more comfortable and shielded from adversity. This pursuit of continual improvement and an abundance of life's pleasures is deeply human. Yet there comes a point when this relentless quest for ease ceases to serve us. The safer and more comfortable our lives become, the more we risk losing in personal growth and self-discovery.
Speaker 1:In our pursuit of a happy life defined by urban comforts and societal benchmarks of success, many of us have become increasingly detached from the raw experiences outside of our controlled environments. This detachment has fostered a disconnect between our perception of happiness, more comfort, wealth, prestige and the experiences that truly fulfill us. Our lives, cushioned by technological advancements and societal safety nets, have subtly led us into a state of complacency. The scarcity of challenge and adversity has quietly eroded our resilience and self-awareness. The scarcity of challenge and adversity has quietly eroded our resilience and self-awareness. By deliberately embracing discomfort, we can rekindle our inherent strengths, rediscover true values and improve our emotional resilience. This journey is not a call to reckless thrill-seeking or public show-off of what one is capable of, but an invitation to recalibrate our relationship with discomfort and, ultimately, with ourselves. It's about using deliberate challenges as a conduit to living more fulfilling lives.
Speaker 1:This book for me I don't know if it was 100% what I was looking for it's kind of about a lot of physical challenges. So their definition of discomfort would be like going on a really long hike, going camping by yourself, doing hard physical things, or taking away a lot of life's comfort, like being without TV, being without the internet, being without certain things. And I don't know if that's really the kind of self-help or growth that I want, but it was an interesting read and interesting to see kind of how people would tell their stories and what their life used to be like and comparatively how it is now after they made some of these changes. So if that's something that you're looking for, I think it's a quick read. But for me I was kind of like this isn't the self-growth that I'm looking for.
Speaker 1:So today I was scrolling through Netflix trying to find something to watch, debating on if I should take a nap or if something caught my attention and I would stay awake, and I was really excited to stumble across. Animal Kingdom is now on Netflix seasons one through six. Now when this was on regular TV, I think I got to season four through season four and then I was never able to find the remaining seasons, so I was super excited to find them. I got to start right at season five where I had left off. I kind of had to figure out like, oh gosh, it was so long ago, where was I at? But I remembered a key point of something happening which was a really big cliffhanger.
Speaker 1:So this movie, or this movie, this TV series, is a crime drama and it follows a 17 year old they call him Jay, his name is also Cody as he moves in with his estranged grandmother and her name is Smurf and her three sons after his mother's death. The series explores the family's involvement in the life of crime, including armed robberies and other criminal activities, as Jay navigates the dangerous and seductive world of his new relatives. So anyway, this show is super thrilling, edge of your seats, kind of crazy, like how people can live a life like this. So anyway, if you're on Netflix and you're looking for a show, definitely check that one out. I feel like this next one has kind of been on everyone's radar or they've heard about it, but the four seasons on Netflix is easy, fast binge watch show.
Speaker 1:There's one season and it was renewed for a second season, but the show centers around the established traditions and evolving dynamics of three married couples. There's Jack and Kate. Kate is Tina Fey, there's Danny and Claude, who are a really cute gay couple, and Nick and Anne. And Nick is, oh my gosh, what's his name? He's from the office and I'm drawing a blank and you're all yelling it at me, but anyway he's super great and funny. So, anyway, the series explores the friendships and the complications that arise as they deal with life transitions, relationship issues and unexpected changes. Changes, and I can tell you that when I was watching it, it's very relatable, and I think that one of the characters is definitely relatable to you or to somebody that you know. So, anyway, if you're looking for something to binge and also hopeful for another season, this is a show for you. And lastly, mackie and I are still watching Dexter and we are in season four. So no spoilers, even though Mackie has told me plenty of them. Hey, mom, do you know that this happens? Stop, don't tell me that.
Speaker 1:Final random thoughts on my radar is I really want a bidet attachment for my toilet. My brother has one of these and when I saw it I was really excited to use it, and the one he has it doesn't have temperature control, so that was cold. I think I used it and I was like woo, but anyway now I love going over there just to go to the bathroom. So anyway I want to get one of those. I think it's just kind of fun and like less toilet paper. That's a win-win. And also looking for a chiminea for my patio for the summer. I do have a fire pit and I love it, but I just want to be able to have a chiminea on my patio for like a just a nice evening on my patio sofa.
Speaker 1:And lastly, I have to go talk to Mackie before I go to bed here, because on my security cameras last night, for the first time ever I saw a possum in my backyard and, as you know, I have chickens and bunnies and these are predators. I've never had a predator threat that I've had to be worried about. So now I have everyone like extra locked up. My broody hens with their baby are like in a doghouse. That's not like I like put a cage around it tonight and like a blanket over the doorway, like just hoping that that helps. Alarm does go off. And then I do have like flashing lights and a loud alarm that seemed to scare them away last night. And also there was a huge motherfucking raccoon, and I've never seen a raccoon in Anoka, in my yard, and I've lived here for 20 years in this house. So anyway, of course, having these animals and having food out and whatnot, of course that's going to attract predators, but it's taken this long and so, anyway, I told Mackie to get his airsoft AR ready for me, because in the middle of the night last night I brought Tyson outside with me with my bat, looking for these creatures to smack some sense out of them so they don't come back in my yard. But I think the cameras did scare them away. I couldn't find them out there, thank God, but anyway, I just want to be prepared and you might not agree with that, but I'm sorry. I have to protect my babies.
Speaker 1:Don't forget to follow us on social media. We're on Facebook on our best behavior. We are on Instagram on our underscore best behavior. I've been really bad at posting on TikTok, but I should work on that. I'm also really bad at posting on everything, let's be real. But I've been thinking about maybe rebranding this podcast to On my Best Behavior, depending on where Mackie is in his life decisions. But anyway, thank you for listening, thank you for supporting me. I appreciate you, I see you and if you want to guest on some episodes, hit me up. Otherwise I'll try to see you next week. Bye.
