Episode 15: Child-free, single, and don’t wanna mingle

Episode 16: The Most C*ntiest Time of The Year

On this episode of Cuntiosity, it’s about to be 2026, and we ain’t ready, or are we?…one of us is, the other, has some trepidations. Any guesses who? While we’ve been enjoying the strange, quiet, twinkly days tucked in between the Christmas holidays and New Year’s Day, we’re trying to think ahead to 2026—still discovering things about our friendship and each other that surprise, delight, and sometimes shock us. Join us for a little time-traveling 80s slang, wondering about our Christmas girlie status, and questioning why every single app is doing a year-in-review recap. We’re missing analog life, and maybe that’s some of what we want to carry into 2026—along with this friendship of radical acceptance and mutual elasticity, plus mixtapes, a tarot card reading, and a bit of screaming and kicking. So join in and join us as you ring it in! Happy 2026 from us —Reshma and Tia On this episode, we have a serious discussion about our hopes and dreams and wishes for 2026….PSYCH! No we don’t, we wax poetic about the analog age, how we let ourselves drift through that liminal space between Christmas and New Year’s Day where time feels suspended and nothing quite matters in the usual way, and how the simple act of shutting down the work laptop might be single the true miracle of the season. We talk about the 80’s slang in Stranger Things and if it is authentic and does that even matter? Why does everything have to become such a debate? Ugh.So boring. We also talk about how nice the collective quiet of this time of year can be if you stay away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Getting ready for our New Year rituals, Tia will be journaling, pulling tarot cards and getting ready to rise early on NewYear’s day, while Reshma carries on into 2026, kicking and screaming, overwrought from Christmas to New Year, to her impending birthday. At least we’ve got each other and we’ll keep grabbing hold of our friendship, despite our sometimes wildly differing personalities. This is a friendship that works through it all and we look forward to more in 2026. So make your resolution (or disillusion) boards, practice your rituals, and stay connected with us by liking and subscribing.  As always, we close with one of the “36 Questions: How to fall in love,” based on the study by psychologist Arthur Aron, and this week’s question 16 invites us to name what we value most in a friendship. How would you answer this for yourself? Your answers might surprise you. https://36questionsinlove.com 00:00 Psyche! What's The Right Slang Gang? 01:51 We're just making things up in 2026 02:31 Are You A Christmas Girlie? 05:13 Coasting On The Quiet Parts Of Holiday Season 10:22 What Even Is Boxing Day? 11:20 Boxing Day and Cultural Traditions 15:42 Too Many End Of Year Recaps All Over The Place 17:32 There Were Some Delightful Recaps Too! 19:31 Put The Needle On The Record 21:35 What Would Lily Allen Think? 26:09 Are Music Albums More Like Books? 30:28 Vision Board, Disillusion Board, You Decide. 32:30 What Keeps Your Friendship Connected? 37:35 12 second ident.mp4 Episode 16 Cuntiosity, friendship podcast, year in review podcast, end of year reflections, analog life, mixtape culture, Christmas feelings, New Year intentions, Arthur Aron 36 questions, female friendship, Cuntiosity podcast, women over 50, friendship, Gen X, podcasting with friends, podcast, the UK, the US, New York, London, Brighton, New York, older and wiser, staying curious

Episode 15: Child-free, single, and don’t wanna mingle

On this episode of Cuntiosity, we get into the very loaded, very current, and somehow still controversial reality of being single and child-free by choice. It feels deliciously rebellious, and suddenly quite in fashion because mediocre men are out, internet solidarity for women is in and chosen family is the it family. Also, what’s with all of the relationship soft launches…girls, psst, are we hiding our boyfriends? Weren’t we always?...Is it trad wife backlash or quiet viral solidarity. There is a brilliant freedom to not centering one’s life around coupledom, isn’t there? We hope you enjoy hearing from us—Reshma and Tia In this episode, we unpack what it really means to be single and child-free by choice in a culture that still treats coupledom and motherhood as default settings. We talk about how language matters—childless versus child-free—and why so many assumptions about women who opt out are outdated or just plain wrong. We explore chosen family, pets as power symbols, dating fatigue, and why not wanting to share your space, your time, or your life plan can be victorious, not a flaw. We dig into the Vogue article asking whether having a boyfriend is embarrassing now, the rise of “choose better men,” and the viral Megan thread that turned into a full-blown internet rescue mission and a rallying cry against mediocre men. We touch on how politics, trad wife culture, and conservatism shape relationship expectations, why singlehood can feel like social rebellion, and how friendships shift when people pair off and have kids. We also get honest about our own relationship histories, serial monogamy versus serial dating, the biology-versus-soul question around motherhood, and the moment you realize the pressure isn’t coming from inside you at all. As always, we close with one of the “36 Questions: How to fall in love,” based on the study by psychologist Arthur Aron, ending with this week’s question: Is there something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time, and why haven’t you done it yet? Our answers might surprise you. https://36questionsinlove.com Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Episode 15 01:07 Child-Free and Single by Choice 03:55 Navigating Relationships and Societal Expectations 06:36 The Evolution of Relationship Dynamics 08:53 The Impact of Societal Norms on Personal Choices 12:03 Reflections on Parenthood and Child-Rearing 15:13 The Personal Journey of Being Child-Free 16:53 The Influence of Friends and Social Circles 20:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 27:47 Navigating Age and Relationships 31:19 The Search for Megan: A Viral Moment 32:53 Dreams and Aspirations: What Holds Us Back? 38:16 Exploring Ancestry and Emotional Journeys Cuntiosity podcast, child free by choice, aging single, women over 50, chosen family, dating culture, mediocre men, down with the patriarchy, couple problems, dating, relationships, chosen family, Gen X, podcasting with friends, podcast, the UK, the US, New York, London, Brighton, New York, older and wiser, staying curious

Episode 14: She's Toyking Now: Talking While Boycotting

On this episode of Cuntiosity, we break free from the grip of the evil sugar empire, express a little political rage, and question celebrity, asking how do we consume without harm, who we cancel, and how far down the existential, do-no-harm rabbit hole, a gal can go before ending up isolated in the woods rubbing twigs together. We hope you enjoy hearing from us—Reshma and Tia In this episode, we start right in with sugar addiction. Oh the sweet stuff, we do love us some sugar but at what cost? The western world lives knee-deep in Big Sugar, Big Alcohol, Big Tobacco, Big everything in a system that keeps us hooked while blaming us for being human. Join us as we talk about getting over sugar. Can Matcha out-match morning coffee? Why is vegan yogurt such a sugar trap? What about maple syrup, is that really better?  This is an existential spiral through  global consumption, unpacking how guilt, power, history, and habit weave into our daily lives. We also swerve into the minefield of boycotting problematic celebrities. Can you love someone’s art while boycotting them? Would you like to be famous or just well known? We talk a little about everything: politics, healthcare, tariffs, menopause medication hoops, and why living in America sometimes feels like a full-contact sport. It’s provocative, candid, and very us—curiosity, sugar cravings, and a lot of laughing through the existential dread. As always, we close with one of the “36 Questions: How to fall in love,” based on the study by psychologist Arthur Aron. Our answers might surprise you. https://36questionsinlove.com 00:00 Episode 14 Introduction 00:17 Sugar, it's really bad,  aww, honey honey, do you know hows its made? 01:43 Dunking biscuits in coffee 03:20 Sugar production in Florida? Who knew? 06:20 Wanna live in a world that's sugar-free 07:24 Quit like a woman  09:51 Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do? 12:15 Maple syrup over sugar anytime 13:17 The existential battle of do no harm 18:26 When is it time to cancel artists? 22:02 Róisín Murphy of Moloko is all anti-trans now 26:36 Crining over awful celebrity behaviors 29:54 Judgment and Acceptance in Society 31:52 Reshma paid her first tariff and she's real mad about it 37:18 From buying goods to prescription prices, everything sucks in America 44:08 Do you wanna be famous?  Sugar politics, cancel culture, menopause, fame debate, moral consumption, global consumption, sustainability, existential dread, tariffs, Women over 50, HRT, Gen X, podcasting with friends, podcast, the UK, the US, New York, London, Brighton, Paris, older and wiser, staying curious

Episode 13: Living In The Metaphysical World

On this episode of Cuntiosity, we get a little metaphysical with it from psychic synchronicities to the bliss of zoning out, we wander through what it means to be “tuned in” versus “checked out.” We hope you enjoy hearing from us—Reshma and Tia. From asking if our dogs can read our dreams, to those unusual coincidences and synchronicities we all experience, what’s just coincidence or something more going on? We talk about the Telepathy Tapes podcast that’s gone viral in the US and also talk about mediation. There’s so many different approaches to meditation, we’ve both tried a few,  sometimes it involves a binaural beat, sometimes bubble wrap. Join us while we talk about what can make us feel more energetically connected and in sync, while our estrogen patches keep us physically capable. As always, we close with one of the “36 Questions: How to fall in love,” based on the study by psychologist Arthur Aron—this time asking: what’s something in your life you’d like to be able to share with another person? Our answers might surprise you. https://36questionsinlove.com 00:00 This is not rehearsed, you have been warned😀 00:22 Trying out an American accent  01:09 Too old for spontaneous laughter 02:07 Please can we normalize my menopausal delay? 03:49 HRT Problems 05:11 The torture of being sleepless next to a fast asleep creature 05:57 Are you psychically connected to the dog? 06:43 The dog can stay but all others, please and kindly leave 08:18 Have you heard the Telepathy Tapes podcast? 10:47 Brain evolution or are we back in the simulation? 12:51 Challenging if coincidence is really psychic ability  14:05 When game play might be some unconscious brain training 14:49 Mediation and enhancing what the brain can do 15:43 Relying on westerners to make something ancient go mainstream with a post 16:35 Learning versus awakening knowledge  20:04 Trusting your gut and listening to it 22:15 What can we learn from disconnecting with out 3D bodies 24:01 Get fidgety with it 25:18 Meditations on meditation 27:28 From transcendental meditation to the great beyond 28:55 Guided meditation works for Tia but triggers Reshma 30:59 Using binaural beats and rhythms to reset the mind 34:02 Seeking partnership for sharing things in day to day life Women over 50 podcast, telepathy, intuition, estrogen, HRT, meditation, mindfulness, transcendental meditation, binaural beats, psychic connection, women over 50, Gen X, podcasting with friends, podcast, the UK, the US, New York, London, Brighton, Paris, older and wiser, staying curious

Episode 12: Spooky Stuff, Other Stuff and One Big Send-Off

On this episode of Cuntiosity, we talk about everything from spooky coincidences and quitting jobs to bad daughters, broken watches, and the art of figuring life out one strange story at a time. We hope you enjoy hearing from us—Reshma and Tia. In this wildly wandering episode, we flip the script and open with one of the  “36 Questions: How to fall in love” that we usually close with. Coincidentally, randomly, dare we say, spookily, Tia’s pulled question 36–the last question of them all. Are we ready for this? This one was all about sharing personal problems, and seeking the other’s advice. One of us wants to quit her job, the other needs a tech replacement, or does she? What do you think?  Somehow we ended up talking all about books: making them, selling them, self-publishing them, like Reshma has done in the past, and Tia’s friend Sangeeta Pillai has recently done with her new book Bad Daughter.  This episode is all about taking creative leaps, the courage it takes to start something new, or unlearn expectations, the whispers we grow up with, and the comfort of reclaiming who we are. Along the way there are detours into stinky ginkgo nuts, spooky hotels, foraging in city parks, and a big goodbye to London. It’s a perfectly imperfect mix of introspection, laughter, and late-night honesty, only it’s done during the day…we need our sleep.  https://36questionsinlove.com 00:00 Episode 12 Introduction  00:39 Enter the upside down: we are doing the episode in reverse 01:25 Beginning with ending 02:40 Question 36 is complicated 04:58 Advice from an unreliable source 05:58 Walk off your job or plan the quitting?  08:02 That time when Reshma started a publishing company 09:50 From furry costumes selling kids books to getting published 10:50 That time a pizza guy got one of us a job in publishing 12:02 Manifestation or sneaking in the back door? 14:33 From getting a book deal to breaking a book deal 15:05 Learning the nitty gritty of making picture books 16:28 Supporting new independent author 17:20 On the subject of self publishing, it's a lot easier now 18:23 New book alert: Bad Daughter by Sangeeta Pillai 19:39 The cultural connotations of "bad daughter" 20:46 Reflections of our childhood selves 24:59 What's Tia's problem that she needs help solving? 25:33 Spooky experiences and occult occurrences 27:41 Replacing tech is so expensive and hard to avoid 33:06 There's never enough time for a chat and a catch-up 33:46 Female ginkgo tree and it's smelly seeds 36:46 Lying flat is a new movement happening in China 38:43 Going home to America 40:59 Last night party in London 43:14 Tia finally solves Reshma's problem that we opened with 45:42 Ending on a high note! Topics: Bad Daughter, quitting your job, spooky season, spooky stories, self publishing, books, bookmaking, religion and belief, identity, authenticity, relationships, women over 50, Gen X, podcasting with friends, podcast, the UK, the US, New York, London, Brighton, Folkstone, Paris, older and wiser, staying curious