Joy Moments

Small Moments Matter More Than You Think

Sara hosts solo this week and goes back to basics: why Joy Moments is a practice, not a perk. The episode is about what happens when you stop doing it, what happens when you remember to, and the gap between those two things. She talks about intentionally looking for the small stuff when the big stuff is hard, shares her own moments from the week, and reminds listeners that piggybacking on someone else's joy counts too. No pressure, no finish line, just filling the tank a little. TOPICS COVERED * Why joy moments matter most when things are hard, not when they're already good * Sara makes her son stop in a strip mall parking lot to listen to a mockingbird * A tree frog Sara can't stop trying to locate before letting the dog in * A drive home where the to-do list was winning until the wildflowers weren't * A Threads post about stopping mid-conversation for a sunset or a mushroom, and the comments that followed LINKS & RESOURCES Submit your own joy moment, a question for No Shame in Our Game, or apply to be on a show at practicalhug.com/submit [https://practicalhug.com/submit]

Full Fridges, BLTs, and Presidential Cats

Heaven filled her fridge and cabinets for the first time in months and sat in her kitchen and cried from gratitude. That's where this one starts. From there, Lacey introduces Notorious BLT (a TikTok friend whose username she messaged a stranger to compliment) and his cat, President Camacho, who is wearing sunglasses and has a lot going on. A BLT tangent follows. Sara shares a text from Jim that briefly made her wonder if he was trying to warn her about lizard people, and talks through what it's like to communicate when your brain is mid-perimenopause and charades is the backup plan. Short episode, a lot of warmth. TOPICS COVERED * Heaven's joy moment: a full fridge after months of financial distress, and why she cried alone in her kitchen about it * Notorious BLT, the TikTok username that started a friendship, and his cat President Camacho (sunglasses, distinguished, many unanswered questions) * A longer-than-planned conversation about why BLTs are so good and Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburgers as a childhood gateway drug * Jim texting Sara "the lizards are called salamander" mid-episode and the 60 seconds of genuine concern that followed * Sara's perimenopause word recall update, delivered via charades at a live event LINKS & RESOURCES Submit your own joy moment, a question for No Shame in Our Game, or apply to be on a show at practicalhug.com/submit [https://practicalhug.com/submit]

The Guitar, the Cards, and the Joy Train

Lacey has been sitting on a tarot practice for a year and finally figured out a format that actually fits her life — async readings she can do without scheduling a video call. She walks us through why tarot works for her as a thinking tool, not a prediction tool, and why getting back to it has her genuinely lit up. Sara took that joy ripple energy to Threads, where a call-out for joy moments turned into Rex Racer Graham sharing that his son's new guitar inspired him to finally get out his late sister's guitar and learn. Violet also makes her Joy Moments debut and claps for us, which is the correct response. TOPICS COVERED * Lacey's tarot comeback — why she abandoned it, how she rebuilt it around async readings, and why it finally fits * Sara gets a reading and immediately finds it useful, creating a joy ripple she did not see coming * Rex Racer Graham's guitar story on Threads, and the sister behind it * Why 18 likes on a joy post still counts as a ripple * Lacey's official defense of the bird conversation (yes, this is an appropriate forum) LINKS & RESOURCES Submit your own joy moment, a question for No Shame in Our Game, or apply to be on a show at practicalhug.com/submit [https://practicalhug.com/submit]

Little Joys Making Big Joys

Violet turned one and Lacey has been weaning — which, against all expectations, went smoothly. The schedule that came with it, the consistent naps, the sleeping through the night, turned out to matter more than she anticipated. She's honest that it's also a little sad. Sara's joy is longer to explain: she's wanted to be a crossing guard since elementary school, she walked her dog this week, and a neon orange newt needed help across the road. The episode wanders from there — Lazarus lizards in Cincinnati, salamanders in a Massachusetts basement, movies neither of them can watch anymore, Joe's birthday. TOPICS COVERED * Weaning Violet after a year of breastfeeding — what made it easier than expected, and the feelings that came with it * Sara gets her crossing guard moment, courtesy of a newt trying to cross the road * Invasive Lazarus lizards in Cincinnati and why Lacey used to announce herself in her own basement * The movies that have become unwatchable (Moana, Homeward Bound, How to Train a Dragon) LINKS & RESOURCES Submit your own joy moment, a question for No Shame in Our Game, or apply to be on a show at practicalhug.com/submit [https://practicalhug.com/submit]

Is This Real? Morning Announcements, Old Photos, and Messages to Your Future Self

We're getting nostalgic in the best way today. Lacey shares a joy moment that started with a podcast clip and ended in a group chat spiral with childhood friends—all trying to figure out whether Lacey actually did morning TV announcements in middle school or if she dreamed the whole thing. (Verdict: probably real. Probably.) Sara shares a joy moment from her dad, who's been combing through decades of family photos to build a slideshow for an upcoming reunion—and found himself overwhelmed with gratitude for a life well-lived. We also talk about the unexpected delight of stumbling across a shout-out you left your future self—and why gifting your future self a little surprise joy might be one of the easiest things you can do today. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the memory spirals and the joy gremlin. TIMESTAMPS 1. 00:00 Welcome to Joy Moments 2. 00:45 Nostalgia as a flavor of joy — looking back, in the moment, looking forward 3. 01:00 Lacey's joy moment: morning announcements, gray mustaches, and "is this real?" 4. 03:30 The group chat that couldn't confirm anything 5. 05:00 Instagram saves the day: Somoene confirms Mr. Turner exists 6. 06:00 Memory, brains, and the teacher's pet through-line 7. 07:15 Sara's joy moment: her dad sorting old photos for a family reunion slideshow 8. 08:30 Counting your blessings, one photo album at a time 9. 09:15 Future self shout-outs: the joy of surprising yourself 10. 10:00 Hey, future Sara — you're nailing it 11. 10:30 Submit your joy moment + closing TELL US What is a memory—real or half-imagined—that still brings you a warm, fuzzy feeling when it surfaces? If you'd like to share it with us, you can submit your Joy Moment at practicalhug.com/submit [http://practicalhug.com/submit].