Alex Hourigan
Hey chicks, I'm Al.
Sally McMullen
And I'm Sal.
Alex Hourigan
And this is Two Broke Chicks, the show that shares life lessons from the gals, for the gals. And today, we're here for an educational time, because we're going to be discussing the books to read in your 20s. Get your shit together, get your life together, get on that 'that girl' vibe. Sal and I are big bookworms, we love to read. We love to read fictional and I feel like in the last couple of years, we've stepped more into reading nonfiction books, because I used to just not vibe them. But I don't think I was reading the right ones.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, totally. And they were very much that like preachy, self-help, 90s vibe.
Alex Hourigan
Which ain't it. And a lot of these books are written by young women and for young women. So I think that's why I was really able to identify ourselves in these books and take actionables that made sense, because in a lot of other books, it's like, "What to do with your family". And I'm like, mm that's okay.
Sally McMullen
Can't relate.
Alex Hourigan
Don't have the children, don't plan on it, thank you.
Sally McMullen
I'm baby.
Alex Hourigan
We have a range of books from a different kind of facet of categories all throughout this, from manifestation, sex, relationships, career, all of that fun stuff. But before we get into the episode, Sally, I want you to tell me about your life lesson of the week, right now!
Sally McMullen
My life lesson of the week is, at the time of recording, it is Australian Fashion Week. So we are seeing lots of fash-on all over Instagram and Tiktok right now. And I thought I would pull out three of the top fashion trends that we're going to see everywhere, this winter. First one is knee high boots, of all styles too, I've seen like chunky platform heels that are more like the 70s or 90s vibe. Bit more of like that flatter heel, but with the chunky platform. And then also I've seen some of the gals rocking like almost a gladiator style boot.
Alex Hourigan
Don't know how I feel about that one, not gonna lie.
Sally McMullen
I know, it's very interesting.
Alex Hourigan
I like the one that's like a gumboot.
Sally McMullen
Me too.
Alex Hourigan
That one I'm like, that looks comfy as fuck.
Sally McMullen
Also super practical. So there's that. The next one is muted neon tones. So I'm not talking like fluoro yellow, that's like the blinding light that you see when you walk into Supre.
Alex Hourigan
When that was like a trend back in like 2017, like Kim Kardashian, and everyone was wearing neon pink and green. I was like, this is it, this is how the world ends.
Sally McMullen
Literally, the end is nigh. No, it's not like that. It's more of a subtle, muted neon colour. It's easier to style in everyday wear to wear, but some of the colours that I have seen, both on the runways and also in people's street style looks, are yellow, green and pink.
Alex Hourigan
We love pink.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, that's a fun one, I think to work into your winter wardrobe, because usually we go with darker tones in winter. So I'm excited to see that we're shaking it up. And then the last one is strappy details on everything.
Alex Hourigan
Everyting.
Sally McMullen
Whether that is coats, dresses, shoes, we're gonna see lots of strappy and cut out details, which is very like y2k.
Alex Hourigan
Lots of like halter necks and like one shoulder pieces.
Sally McMullen
Yeah.
Alex Hourigan
As well as like strings on like your pants that you'd like tie around your waist and things like that.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, or like coats and jackets with almost like corsetry in the back. So then they have like strings dangling down or little, like stringy elements coming off the arms, which I think is fun, because it gives you a lot of movement. And you can also wear something that would otherwise look quite basic, but it's a bit of a twist.
Alex Hourigan
Yeah. Into it.
Sally McMullen
Hmm. So that's my life lesson of the week.
Alex Hourigan
That's cool, that's fun. My life lesson of the week is for people to stop being assholes on the internet. I've had enough!
Sally McMullen
I'm getting the soapbox out for you.
Alex Hourigan
I'm so over people thinking because something's on the internet that their opinion is wanted. And it's so lovely to be building the community that we are and 99% of the time, everyone's here for the good vibes and good times. But there is always one person that is popping up and being like "meh,". Like we posted about Abbie Chattfield launching her own like fashion label, which is super exciting for her, super amazing, she's really successful and really turned like her life and career into something that is incredible, and we should celebrate. And there was everyone in the comments being like, "This is amazing. Can't wait to buy it", and there was one person that just was like, "Can't stand her". Why comment that? It's so weird. Would you go up to someone in their face, that you've never met before? And just be like, "Can't stand you".
Sally McMullen
No, never.
Alex Hourigan
You wouldn't. And then as soon as I reply, cuz I do. Sal's like, "Leave it, it's fine". I'm like, "No. I'm gonna reply". And as soon as you reply, it's like, "Oh, well, it's just my opinion". Like, that's fine. You're completely entitled to your opinion. Tell your friend about it. Tell your mom, tell your dad. I don't care. You don't care. The rest of the Internet doesn't care.
Sally McMullen
That's the thing and your words have impact.
Alex Hourigan
Yeah, that's another human being. We had a comment on a TikTok, from when we were interviewing Elfy and Justine about politics, commenting, "This is what happens when shallow people try to sound smart". And shock, it was a straight, white old man.
Sally McMullen
Exactly. And it's like we're speaking to two qualified journalists, who know their shit and I are extremely intelligent.
Alex Hourigan
Yeah, my life lesson is as soon as you reply back, there's an instant backpedal. So basically, step up, because let's go toe to toe in the comments. I'm here, I'm ready, and I'm entering my villain era. Life lesson is to be petty. Don't take the high road, just go for it. Legit like, don't let people walk all over you, don't say mean things, and just keep your opinions to yourself.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, literally.
Alex Hourigan
Let's all be a little bit more petty.
If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all. Or if somebody says something mean to you, fucking batter up, baby.
And then, I'm gonna block you. Bye!
Moving on to our book suggestions, would you like to kick us off with yours?
Sally McMullen
Sure, my first suggestion is 'The Space Between' by Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews, who are journalists and the fabulous hosts of the Shameless podcast, which we both love. So I think they published this in 2020, and it's basically a guide to your 20s and that space between being a teenager and then being a real adult, which I hope comes soon. This book is really good if you're in your 20s, and you're feeling a little bit lost, and you are not sure where you're going, but you want to, you know, identify with some other chicks who are maybe having a similar experience. I feel like I could talk about this book for hours, I wish that I had it at the beginning of my 20s. But one of my favourite parts of this book is that it starts off with 29 things that they wish they knew on their last day of uni. And I was just like, God, I wish I had this!
Alex Hourigan
I love a good listicle like that, as well.
Sally McMullen
So there were a few things in there, especially career wise, that I thought was super helpful. So one of them was learn how to network. It may seem a bit cheesy and awkward, but put yourself out there, be confident, be polite, ask questions, and remember people's names. Because I still struggle with that one, when I'm networking. And then the other tip that I really liked in that section was show initiative in the workplace. Nobody is going to hold your hand through it and there's nothing more impressive than showing initiative. So if you're in your first job, or you're well into your career, you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, just pick up something else to do. And your boss is gonna be very impressed by it.
Alex Hourigan
Start a project that's like only your project, that only you run or work on, end to end. It could just be like, we could start an Instagram on this topic, and you just run that, for example. And that way, you can have something that you put success only to your name. So that way when you go in for your review, you're like, "Hey, guess what, we grew our Instagram to 10,000 followers in a year, where's my pay rise?".
Sally McMullen
Exactly. Or, "This process was losing us X amount of dollars, I completely changed it and optimised it, and now look at this".
Alex Hourigan
Gorgeous. Love that.
Sally McMullen
Yeah!
Alex Hourigan
I like that book, too.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, so smart, really funny, and there's also a lot of really vulnerable moments in the book.
Alex Hourigan
Love. My number one is the book, '101 Essays to Change the Way You Think'. This book is good for expanding your own relationship within yourself ,and how you kind of think about certain things within your life, and just changing your perspective to a more positive, well rounded way of thinking about it. I definitely recommend listening to it as an audiobook, as well, because I found it a really good way to digest everything that was being said. Don't let the term essays fool you because it's not intro, paragraph, conclusion and terrifying. But it covers everything from not only relationships, but also how to like build your own passions within yourself, how to be emotionally intelligent, how to manage expectations around you and within. My number one favourite thing that was like, a brain explosive moment for me, was that you don't know what will make you happy because you've only ever got your past experiences to rely on. And something that could make you truly happy is coming in the future that you've never once experienced before. So how are you to know what will make you truly happy? The next best thing could be right around the corner, it puts you in a really good headspace and really hopeful headspace.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, and it's a good reminder to pursue something even if you don't have a point of reference of how it's going to turn out, because it could be the best thing of your life. My next book is another new one, that was actually released this year by Madeleine Dore, and it's called, 'I Didn't Do the Thing Today'. This book is good for people who are feeling burnt out, or struggle with that productivity guilt, which I think that so many people suffer from, especially in today's day and age, where constantly we're being told, like, "This is how you can optimise this. This is how you can be more productive in this", and it's just like, let me live! One lesson that I learnt is that it's okay to waste time. Do you ever get this feeling where maybe you're watching a show or you're reading a book, or you're just relaxing on the couch, and in the back of your head, you're like, "I should be doing this. There's a pile of laundry I should be doing", or, "There's this email that I could be answering". Or "I should be calling my mum right now".
Alex Hourigan
Stop it, stop, stop! You're listing everything that I have to do!
Sally McMullen
Exactly! I think what we've been conditioned to do is to make every moment productive.
Alex Hourigan
Yeah.
Sally McMullen
But when you're wasting time, and you're just winding down or doing something fun, something that's purely for pleasure. That's not a waste of time, because what you're doing is giving yourself the break that you need to recharge your juices, and then actually work more productively, and engage with people in a better way. Because if we're constantly feeling like we're switched on, or you're only half relaxing, cuz you're thinking about that little niggling thing in the back of your head,
Alex Hourigan
You're not actually relaxing.
Sally McMullen
You're not actually relaxing. And that's why so many of us are burnt out. So I love that tip of just giving yourself the permission to actually relax.
Alex Hourigan
My next book is by Chantelle Otten, we spoke to her on the podcast in season one, that was a great chat. And it's her book, 'The Sex Ed You Never Had'. This is good for both single humans and those in relationships, who want to enhance their relationship with sex with themselves, and with other people. I love Chantelle, because the way that she speaks about sex is such a higher level than I think I've ever experienced, especially from high school. High school was so focused on if you get pregnant, you will get an STD and you will die. It's really focused on scaring people out of sex, rather than focusing on it being a pleasurable experience that is really nice, if you ask me. I think it's really cool. But the way that she covers multiple topics in this book about dating, it's about toys, it's about self pleasure, as well as making sure you're making healthy decisions with buying the right accessory, like condoms and lube and stuff like that. So it really is the sex ed you never had.
Sally McMullen
Yeah.
Alex Hourigan
And picks up on all the things that you really should have been taught in high school. But what, like, how much are you really going to get out of a question box from like, 16 year olds that know nothing?
Sally McMullen
Yeah, exactly.
Alex Hourigan
I have two life lessons from this book that I thought were really interesting. One is for those who get dating anxiety, I get the worst dating anxiety, which is why I don't date. There are so many times that I'm supposed to be going on a date and I'm just like, "I'm so sorry, my friend just broke up with her boyfriend, I really need to be there for her, I can't come. Can we reschedule?", and just never reschedule. The way that she spoke about this, and the dating anxiety, is like just, it's a good story. Either way, if it's a bad date, if it's a good date, it's a good story. And what's the worst that could happen? If it's a bad day, you're where you were, before you went, which is single. If it's a good day, you're gonna maybe make a really nice connection and find a partner for life. So it's like either way, either end of the spectrum, nothing that bad is gonna happen and you're gonna end up with a good story. And we do have some good stories. I went on a date with a doctor once and he was showing me all these photos of like, people impaled with like random objects, which was absolutely horrifying. And then the second one is the ingredients to avoid in your lube. They recommend using a water based lubricant but there are still ingredients within lube that can cause issues. She says to avoid glycerin, which is high in sugar, which can cause a yeast infection. Parabens, they can also have a negative effect as it can act like a hormone and disturb the endocrine ecosystem. There's petroleum jelly, which leaves a coating on the skin, which can trap bacteria. And citric acid, which can cause burning and irritation.
Sally McMullen
I was gonna say, that sounds like it could hurt.
Alex Hourigan
Doesn't sound very good, very good. No, no, no. So, you want to avoid glycerin, parabens, petroleum jelly and citric acids in your lube. Thank you, Chantelle.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, I love that book. I love how just matter of factly she speaks about everything as well. It's so easy to read and she also has an audio book as well, and has a beautiful voice.
Alex Hourigan
Oh my god, her voice is so melodic. Doesn't sound like my like allergic sniffles, nasal voice right now.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, it's very raspy. Speaking of people that we've chatted to on the podcast, my next book is Sarah Davidson's 'Seize the Yay". This is Alex's dad favourite book.
Alex Hourigan
Oh my god. I think I got a text every day from my dad about a recap of the chapter he read. I'm like, "Dad, I read the book too". Like, it was really good, he really loved it.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, he loves it. And I don't think that your dad is necessarily serious target audience either. So there you go. I think this book is great for if you're in your career, and maybe you aren't feeling like you're in the right place. Or you have a cool business idea and you want the inspo to get it started. Sarah was a lawyer for many years, you know, stuck in that corporate rat race, and then ended up launching her own matcha side hustle, which has turned into this amazing career. And she has a podcast, and a book, and just an amazing brand, where she interviews lots of different self starters, and cool people in the business world. So this book is great for tips on how to seize your yay, essentially, and find the thing in your career and in your life that will fill your cup. So one of my favourite things about this book is that she gives a lot of really practical tips on how to juggle your full time career and what you have going on, while still exploring those other elements of your life. So if you are maybe thinking of starting up something, or you want to explore a different space in your career, read this book, you'll get lots of tips on how to get started.
Alex Hourigan
Yeah, I really like her optimistic approach to everything.
Sally McMullen
Yeah.
Alex Hourigan
How like, accomplishments and failures don't make you who you are. Balance is okay, you can procrastinate. So it's also really good. If you are in that point of uni, like you're saying, you still kind of don't really know what you want to do. I feel like it's really pushed on us in our HSC, or like last years of high school and uni that you need to know what you need to do. And we have this thought that if we go back to uni to do something else, like we're a failure. So it really kind of changes the perspective to look at it in a more optimistic way of opportunity and power. Like, you can change your mind, you can go off and pursue your passion, whatever that may be, you don't have to work in a nine to five.
Sally McMullen
Exactly. And another great thing that she mentions in the book, which is a life lesson that I picked up, is that even when you are trying something new, or moving into a different space into your career, what you've done before isn't a waste of time, because you're almost certain to use skills and knowledge from your previous career, that you'll be able to apply to this new thing. So also don't think like, oh, well, I've got this qualification and all this experience in this one area, and that's a waste of time. It's absolutely not.
Alex Hourigan
At the end of the day, you're still learning something, you learn that you don't like doing that. But even if you do something and pursue something and then you don't like it, you still learnt something about yourself. You still learnt, "Okay, that's not for me. I don't like that".
Sally McMullen
Exactly.
Alex Hourigan
Or there are aspects of this that I did like, aspects that I didn't like, so let's focus on the ones that I did. And just be boss bitch.
Sally McMullen
Exactly.
Alex Hourigan
Stunning. Moving on to our product recommendations of the week, my favourite part of the episode, because I get to tell everyone what I spent my money on. Number one, it's getting chilly out there. I don't like to be cold. So guess who just bought a new electric blanket? This is your reminder to buy an electric blanket for winter, if you don't have one already, because those bad boys are a love language to me. Pop it on before you get into bed and then that way you just get in and you're all snuggly and so toasty warm. And most of them have a timer nowadays. So you can set it to like whatever heat you want, and then have the best sleep of your entire life, like a warm toasty cinnamon bun.
Sally McMullen
Exactly. And it stays warm all night.
Alex Hourigan
All night. Like it's not like you wake up at 3am and your bed's cold again. Sometimes I do just put it on like one or two and then just leave it on for the whole night.
Sally McMullen
Naughty girl.
Alex Hourigan
But it's a vibe. And then my second one is, I got a new diffuser. And it's like this tortoise shell diffuser that lights up and it comes with like a four pack of oils as well. I think it was like 30 bucks? And it just makes me so happy. It also helps with my allergies, which you can hear today, because the pollen at the moment is crazy and the scent that I put on today was, 'Happy'.
Sally McMullen
I love that.
Alex Hourigan
My electric blanket was also like, 50 bucks. Cheap as chips.
Sally McMullen
Oh my god, what a steal.
Alex Hourigan
I know.
Sally McMullen
Kmart at it again.
Alex Hourigan
What's yours, baby girl?
Sally McMullen
It is the Alpha H Generation Glow Daily Resurfacing Essence.
Alex Hourigan
Say that five times quick.
Sally McMullen
It's $99, so it is pricey. But Alpha H products are a little bit more on the expensive side because they work. And they are a really popular brand, and I think for good reason. So if you have used the Liquid Gold Exfoliating Essence before but you found it a little bit too severe or you have sensitive skin, this is the product for you. This one has, instead of glycolic acid, it has 5% AHA's which are just a little bit more gentle on the skin. I am definitely more of a sensitive skin gal. But I haven't had any issues with using this, I did get a little bit of a purge, which I always do when I use products like this, that's just a common side effect.
Alex Hourigan
That's how you know the products working.
Sally McMullen
Exactly. But I have found that my skin looks brighter and that it is working. And I've only been using it for, I think, the last two weeks or so, and I've already been really happy with the results.
Alex Hourigan
For those who don't know what a skin purge is, it's when you use like a chemical exfoliant. And then because it's really getting into the deeper layers of your skin, it brings any kind of future pimples to the surface, and penetrates deep and then pulls them out. So it can last between two to four weeks. But then once the purge is done, then you've got like that glowing skin that doesn't have any impurity.
Sally McMullen
Yeah, exactly. The purpose of this product is to get a smoother, more even and brighter complexion. And it's also vegan and cruelty free, which we love. And you can shop it at Sephora.
Alex Hourigan
Gorgeous, gorgeous girls use chemical exfoliants. Well, that is a wrap of another episode of two broke chicks. We hope you really liked the books that we mentioned, and definitely go read them. As always, we'll have links to all of them in the show notes. And we also have a bunch of other recommendations for books on our Instagram. If you guys want us to do a part two of this, because we've got heaps more, please let us know and we'll definitely do it. Or if you've got any book recommendations for us, because we love to read and learn. Learning and growing is sexy. Thank you so much for having us in your ear holes. Big shout out to our producer and editors Pariya Taherzadeh and Bamby Media, we love you. Also shout out to Made in Katana for letting us talk shit every week. We love it. And yeah, have the best day.
Sally McMullen
See you next week.
Alex Hourigan
See you next week. See you next Tuesday.
Sally McMullen
Bye, babes.
Alex Hourigan
Bye.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
