Answering Your Questions (The 5th Thing)

This is Amy’s ‘5th Thing’ (a bonus episode) where she answers your questions every Tuesday! ‘4 Things With Amy Brown’ comes out every Thursday, but on Tuesdays Amy answers questions you’ve emailed in. 

You can send in questions directly to Amy here: [e-mail]...maybe one week your question will be shared!!

(Episode 77)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, welcome to the fifth thing. And sorry you guys
are getting this a little bit late today. Had some
uh issues with my dad yesterday ended up not being
able to record the Q and A when I wanted to,
So still getting it on Tuesday, but just a little
bit later, and my husband is joining us today. Hello. Hello. Um.

(00:20):
Just some things we wanted to get out of the
way real quick before we get into the questions. Is
that our zipper pouches, the customizable ones, totally sold out,
which is amazing. Um. We we are trying to make
more pouches that are blank, but we just don't have them.
So I know, we've been getting some messages from people
that are like, oh man, I missed out, but hopefully

(00:41):
we'll have some options for you. Soonent we don't, I
don't know how long because honestly, even the customizable part
is really hard, and we've got some fun stuff coming
up for Christmas. In my heart, I mean, just like
every single pouch is a different four things and the
artwork and all the stuff, and so we're focusing on
some other cool things. So just stay tune. But we
do have the joy Seeker Zipper pouch still available already

(01:03):
made so that you can buy if you're looking for
a cute little pouch and you're really excited and you
don't want to wait. That says be kind, choose joy,
laugh a lot, eat cake, and per usual, all the
stuff goes towards supporting Haiti, which is Haitie is a
hot mess right now, like it's in a lot of
turmoil and it's crazy because you turn on the news
and you don't hear anything about it. But if you

(01:25):
are curious, you can go to Twitter. That's been the
best source of information for Mary and I and we've
been trying to track it and Ben's involved with some
stuff down there, like we have um the the bakery
and right now you know our very first Pimp and
Joy shirt through the Bobby Bones show and Team Haiti
built this bakery at the orphanage and they can't even

(01:47):
buy flour, like yeah, so we've been working on that
one really hard right now, and it's hard to keep
the business going when you can't buy your basic needs
as frus and people are depending on their jobs at
the bakery, and I mean that it's like almost thirty
people depend on the bakery for a job, which is everything.
Um so you've got obviously jobs affected, there's you know,

(02:09):
police being killed, there's fires being started, there's riots, people
can't get supplies, there's fuel shortages. I mean, it's it's
really just not great. But we are partnered with different
organizations down there that are still making a difference for
the people that they can and kids, and right now
we're supporting Project Metashare and education and you know, they've

(02:31):
even sent out some notes about how crazy things have gotten.
And so just know that when you shop a splaw Um,
you're also getting something super cute, but giving to some
great organizations down there right now that are making a
big difference. So it's I'll just say this before you
get in. The questions are real quick. It's never too
early to start your four things to Christmas show Christmas

(02:54):
shopping because you've got to think of the four things,
just go ahead and order them. That way, we can
get you the toe. You can check Christmas shopping off
of your list, because if you do it last minute,
you just we don't know when the deadline or the
cut off is going to be this year because we
get tons of orders around Christmas and it's not like
we're this huge company with a bunch of manpower that's like, okay, yeah,

(03:16):
we got all these orders, let's crank it out. Like
we're having to manage a lot of different things, so
it's like sometimes it's like, oh, bummer, we gotta cut
this off. We can't, we can't do anymore ourselves. So
shop squad dot com or do you know my website Amy? No,

(03:36):
you've never been cool. Thanks for the support. Radio amy
dot com you can find you. Well, you're missing a
key word. I don't think who amy dot com is
probably I don't even know what it is. But radio
amy dot com you can find pim and enjoy stuff.
Shop is boa shot forward links and links to my

(03:57):
Amazon page if you ever curious about products that I like.
My favorite things are up there as well, and then
a blog to this podcast and the four things you
can catch up. Okay, so first question is from from
Lauren Ye. From Lauren hi Ami, I married your balance
between eating healthily and trying to remain relaxed and enjoyed

(04:19):
moments in meal times with your family. You've mentioned before
that your kids are picky and mine is also, especially
with vegetables. Do you have a suggestion from an expert
or in or blog that provides guidance and that provides
guidance on a balanced, relaxed approach to healthy eating for children.
In my case, Toddler's I want to help him fuel
his body healthily without causing him to have a strict

(04:41):
and stressed mindset related food and family meals. Um. Okay,
So not experts here. My husband and I were not,
and we had to figure out a lot with our kids,
like you know, being super picky eaters. I mean, they
came from Haiti. They were used to being used to
food being cooked a certain way that we didn't do.
And like I still don't the rice and beans the
right way, but you know, we're figuring that out. But

(05:05):
I think it's important that kids eat on a schedule.
They should eat like every three or four hours. You
should be asking that they're hungry, and then you're good
about asking if they're thirsty, Like sometimes it's just water.
They're like literally sometimes kids can be acting out simply
because they're dehydrated. And it's true, so they may need water.
They may not even need food, they just need water.
And something that you know has helped us is we're

(05:28):
not like cooked to order chefs at our house, it's
kind of like, this is what is for dinner. Sometimes
we struggle with breakfast kind of making them what they want,
which that's different than dinner time, you know, because it's
a smaller meal and there's not right, but dinner, it's
kind of this is what's for dinner. But something we
do do with the kids to involve them in that

(05:49):
is at the beginning of the week, like look at
the look at the menu for what they would like
to have, Like, hey, like this is we've got dinners Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Like what would you all like? And then they get
to be a part of planning the week so that way,
it's not the night of their getting like whatever they
want they get excited about like oh wow, I got

(06:11):
and then they feel involved in it. And you know,
like the other night, I think they decided for one
day of the week they wanted the chicken noodle soup
and it was like a hundred degrees outside. It's fall
here in Nashville, but it is hot this week, that's
for sure. Um, But you know, I think getting them
involved in that is important all kids. And then you know,

(06:33):
as a parent, and I've said this a million times
on the podcast before. We're probably not a million, but
I try not to say, you know, eat your vegetables,
like this is this is healthy, this is good for you,
because that makes them resist and not want to do it.
I mean, I know I'm guilty of saying it, but
but I try to phrase it and like, this is
good for your body, like this is what your brain needs,

(06:55):
This is what your body needs to function. This is
going to make you smart at school to a if
I'm trying to get them to eat you know, eggs
and avocados for breakfast over you know, a frozen waffle,
which that's like a twenty year conditioning program. Because the
kids don't. Like Stevenson doesn't care that's gonna make it smart.
He does too, if I tell if you tell them,
you've told him before. Here's another example, salad, this is

(07:18):
good for your bicep, and you get him to flex
and he's like he'll look at you and he say, Okay,
if I eat this salad, it's gonna make my biceps strong,
and yes, like that works. Well, yeah, that That's what
I'm saying. Like, if you phrase it more towards how
their body is functioning instead of like, you know, eat
your vegetables, but why, you know, give them a reason why.

(07:39):
I mean, they're smart. I would give them the credit
of like knowing that they want to feel their bodies
and then know that if they make healthy choices or
good choices for their body, then it can handle the
times where you're a little more you know, having fun
in the moments and you're having pizza and burgers and
ice cream and French fries and all the treats. But

(08:00):
you know, I don't know. Food is just so hard
with kids. As a mom, here with with you, Lauren,
and probably a lot of other moms listening, like the
struggle is real, and sometimes you just want to throw
our hands in the air and just be like, fine,
live off cereal and popcorn. I'll talk to you later. Fine,
but we can't do that. It's our responsibility to try

(08:20):
to feed them and grow them into responsible adults. That's
my goal. At eighteen, If they decide that they like
salads and salmon and vegetables and they're off at college,
like making healthy choices, I'll be like, oh, thank you,
my job is done. I think we give them too
many choices. What do you mean too many choices. I

(08:43):
was not allowed to have white bread in our house, like,
no white bread, wheat bread only, and so growing up
I hate I could not wait to leave for college
and go move and move out so I could buy
white bread, my own bread. And as soon as I
got away from the house, what did I want wheat bread?
But I it was not given me. You bought the
white bread, and you said it just wasn't as good. Yeah,
but I mean, like one time, and then after that

(09:04):
I realized, like we bread tasted better and I liked
it better. And I didn't go buy the sugary series
because I wasn't allowed to have them. Like, so you're
given the choices, so therefore it didn't affect you. You didn't.
So when I got out of the house, then I
actually chose those naturally, because that's what because your mom
didn't give you a bunch of options, there's there's somewhere
in the middle. I'm not saying one way is better

(09:25):
than the other. I think there's obviously a compromise. I
just I think sometimes we just give our kids too
many options that they I mean, they're obviously not gonna
go You know what this is gonna make me smarter.
Verse that's gonna taste better, like like you're really vagging
on my like this is gonna be good for your
brain approach. But I guess we'll conclude on meal time.

(09:48):
As families, I feel like our kids also eat healthier.
We eat healthier when we gather around the table, like
at dinner time, when we cook a meal, we all
sit down together and have and that's that's also good
for the soul, Like you're consuming healthy food that you
probably is a home cooked meal or even if you
had to pick it up, if you're eating around the
table together like you are bonding, telling story. That's when

(10:08):
our kids are the best. I think I just don't
get to do it that often. Okay. Next question is
from from Paula Hi Amy. I'm interested in possibly adding
the Bombshell curling iron to my Christmas wish list, and
I watched the video included in the Amazon listing. The
gentleman mentions a curl protecting spray he uses before curling hair,

(10:29):
and I wondered if they use that one or if
you use that one. Um, Okay, so I don't use
the spray, but I recommend you adding the Bombshell curling
ironto your Christmas list because it's amazing. It's um, it's
not the curling iron. It's a well, it's a wand
and it's on my Amazon page and it's the best
wand I think. And I've tried a couple of different ones,

(10:50):
and it's what gives you that beach wave look. And
I currently don't use the protecting spray that the guy
uses in the video, but I'm going to go watch
it and I'm about to go buy it because yeah,
I need I use the heat protectant before I blow
dry my hair. I don't even really have a specific brand.
A lot of times I'm just using like samples that
I get or a little free travel ones, you know

(11:11):
with purchase, free with purchase. So but I'm gonna look
into this spray because I might need to add it.
But to answer your question, yes, add the Bombshell to
your Christmas list. Next question is from from Maddie. I

(11:33):
enjoyed your recent podcast with Kelly Leave. Do you know
or what would Kelly recommend serving size wise for young
kids with a fab for smoothies? Um, okay, serving size
for kids? I would have to I had to look
this up. So because again I don't know that I
really even focus on how much protein my kids get
every day or fiber, but um, like, because that's what's

(11:58):
in a fab Force smoothie would be protein, fat, fiber,
and greens. And this question had me look this up,
which is great, and you can do the math depending
on how much your kid weighs. And this is what
we need to probably do, babe, with our kids. But
for every pound of body weight, they need about point
four five grams of protein. So for me, because I'm

(12:19):
super active like as and I work out like, I
need a a gram of protein for every pound of
my body weight. So for the kids, they need point
four five? How much do I need? For Harry and
Larry that is what he calls his biceps. If you're
wondering who he's talking about, I don't know. That would
be interesting. You probably need to get that you probably

(12:39):
need a pound or more um for sure to maintain
that muscle mass keep Harry and Larry alive. UM. And
then another thing just quickly that I get about the
Kelly Lavex stuff is she she uses a lot of
all my milk. She's not big on dairy uh at
least for the adults, but a lot of time with kids. Um,

(13:01):
if you're making them as smoothie and your kids are
used to having milk and they don't want the almond
milk or whatever, like my kids, they can, they can say,
they say they can tell the difference in the smoothies
if I use almond milk or regular milk, which we've
just now started to let them use regular milk, but
I use like a grass fed organic I know, I'm weirdo,

(13:22):
but that's just that's the rule. If you want the
cow's milk, and I get that, not everybody can do that,
or your grocery store may not have it. But um,
if you're worried about milk for calcium, because there's another question,
I see a lot. There are other foods that have
calcium that you can work into their diet, like seeds,
chia seeds. You can sneak those into smoothies. Um Beans,

(13:46):
white beans get the most calcium, by the way. Almonds,
dark leafy greens, well that's hard for kids to eat.
But spinach and kale are also on their spinage you
can sneak into a smoothie. My kids can't taste it,
and dried figs are good, which Stevenson likes. He likes
figs and dates, which I know is weird, but he's
nine and it is something sweet for him, so maybe

(14:08):
try that out. And that's also high in calcium. So
next question from Kelly. Hi, Amy, my question is for
you about handling moms. I love my mom and I
wouldn't trade her for the world, but I'm almost dirty
married and started to develop my own thoughts on live marriage, kids,
et cetera. I wanted to ask you this question. You've
had a relationship with your mom as a growing independent
adult who I'm sure you had differences with her, but

(14:30):
you've also lost your mom. I'm trying to find a
balance of loving and approaching her but also establishing boundaries
for a healthy relationship. I know I need to talk
to her, but I'm afraid it would crush her. Do
you have any advice on this? Oh Man, I would
say communication is just key, like if you're close to
your mom, Like for me, we didn't have the best
relationship like growing up, like living with her. I was
pretty mean to her and she was a single mom,

(14:52):
busy working like we clashed a lot and I was
processing a lot, and I just didn't. She didn't really
know how to be there for me, and I didn't
really know how to handle it, and I treated her awful.
But then something flipped in college and we became super
close and we were friends, um and I would say
in my twenties she was my best friend, you know,
her and my sister, and I mean I had girlfriends too,

(15:14):
but she was someone that I definitely was close to
and I could talk to her about whatever. And so
I don't I don't know exactly how close you feel
with your mom, but if you're close to her, you
should be able to communicate, similar to in any relationship,
Like in our marriage. We're doing our best when we

(15:35):
are yeah, communicating. But I think the biggest thing for us,
at least in art. Mean, it's obviously not mother daughter stuff,
but probably similar is just saying it's better to do
it in controlled environment, like, hey, let's talk about this
instead of the whenever it finally comes to a head.
It's going to come to a head and you're gonna explode.
Or I'm not saying she will best. One day, her

(15:56):
mom might try to get into something and she's gonna
and then she blows up, like be like, be let
it be in a moment where it's not like, let's
just talk about this gets thought out. You maybe have
some points like a little brunch talk through it and
everything's control. Yeah, because she needs to understand that this
is you need to create those healthy boundaries and that

(16:17):
this is your life and you're gonna be able to
make your decisions and that you want her to respect that.
And I think that that's I mean, that's the advice
that I would have, is that you just got to
communicate and then set the boundaries. Boundaries are okay, like,
especially depending on if you're a yes person too, Like

(16:37):
you can also practice saying no like to it, even
if it is to your own mother. Right, Yeah, I
mean your mom is so she's so easy going and
awesome and like never like she doesn't want to be
in anybody's way, but she wants to be there if
you need her. Oh yeah, she's always there if you
need her, Like she's super sweet. Like I feel like

(17:01):
you've you probably haven't had a deal with that. No,
really no, but have you talked to your mom lately? Oh,
we need to invite them to come visit, come for Thanksgiving? Yeah,
I want to do that. I thought him last week
during Pabino Wabino, Wisconsin. Just where they they hang out,
that's where your grandpa had a little cottage, a little

(17:23):
that's where they honeymoon. My dad was so suave he
took her up there for their honeymoon whatever fifty plus
years ago. It didn't even have a bathroom. I did
had an out house. It did have a bathroom, it
was outside. And then a last because she's from California
and she gets there and the kitchen sink had a pump,
but well pump, there was no running water. He was

(17:47):
he was all over it. Um okay, Kelly. Just to
to wrap this up, we just want to encourage you
to be able to talk to your to your mom,
Like I don't think it's going to crush her. I
think if you do it in a loving way, and
like Ben was saying, you don't wait for to be
angry about it, are annoyed or irritated, just I mean
sort of how you approach me, like you obviously genuinely

(18:08):
care about her and that's what she needs to know,
and that's the most important thing. But that like you've
you've got your own thoughts on life, marriage and kids,
and that's okay. One day our kids are going to
grow up and they may be different than than what
the different than us and some of our thoughts, but
that's okay, and we're going to still love them no

(18:30):
matter what. So I don't want you to be scared
of that. But yeah, I just hopefully your mom receives
it the way you mean it. Okay, but it's not
gonna be easy. But still it may not be easy,
and I don't know what. Yeah, um, okay, Well, I
think that's gonna do it for today. I know we
didn't really get through that many questions, but the fact

(18:51):
that we even got this episode up today amazing miracle.
I really did want to talk about lip moisturized are though,
Oh next one? Oh I didn't even see that there
was okay, what okay, go Amy. I've recently learned that
vassiline is not as good a moisture as I thought.
That's all I use on my lips. My question is

(19:11):
what you use for everyday lip care? H Do you
love my lips? They're actually cracked right now. Um so,
but sometimes I'll do a little sugar exfoliant on my
lips or a tip that I got from the Nashville
Beauty Girl that's her Instagram handle carry is she takes
her toothbrush and just brushes her lips with her toothbrush

(19:33):
and that exfoliates it and it's like a really easy
way to kind of get it. Um. I also have
a face exfoliant that I use, and sometimes I'll just
put it over onto my lips. UM. I try to
keep them hydrated with different lip bombs, Like I love
a lip gloss that has like a good shade butter
or coconut oil or something like that. The shade butter

(19:54):
ones like are really good to me and they smell good.
So I don't really have anything specific. What do you
do for your lips? Um, I just use like normal chapstick,
normal chests, like literally the brand Chatstick. And I what
I've been trying to do to with ages finding a
lip bomb that has SPF because that area around your

(20:18):
lips can get kind of wrinkly and I feel like
it's just as exposed to the sun. So I've been
trying to do that, especially when we're in Colorado and
I feel like the sun is right there and we
need the chapstick. I do that on the whole face
every day. Yeah, you don't put lip lip bomb all
over your face, but dude, moisture all You can put

(20:38):
that on your lips too. Yeah, do the sunscreen to
toothbrush on. That's if you need to exfoliate. I didn't
know you could exploit exploit your lips. Yes, that's how
they That's why when they're dry, you can like just
take the toothbrush and it'll scrub it off. Or go
get some sugar and mix it with a little bit

(20:58):
of coconut oil or something, and then you've got your
own little lips scrub. Yeah. I mean you should give
it a try. I'm looking at your lips right now
and I could use a little But you have soft
lips you typically do, so maybe that's why you just
haven't had their juicy they are. You wouldn't think that

(21:19):
they are. They don't look that juicy what they are.
Its um Okay, Well, I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.
It's October one, it's the first of the month, so yeah,
get on it, and remember it's never too early to
start your Christmas shopping. Four things totes for the wind.
Just think of your friends, your girlfriends, your family their

(21:41):
favorite four things and make them because I'm speaking to
the people that already want to make them. Anyway, I'm
not trying to pressure Inna buying one. I'm just speaking
to you that are already planning on ordering one, or
maybe you don't know what they are and you're like,
what are these? They're the cutest, they're the best gift
because they give back and they're personalized for the people
they care about. But I'm just it is encouraging if
you get on it, because never too early, not mistake

(22:04):
any parting words been no thanks for having me today.
Oh thank you for being here.