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Two Noras and a Mic

Nora & Nora

Oh hello! We’re Nora and Nora and we’re glad you’re here!

From parenting and local faves to current trends and recipes, we are two Noras discussing it all with a whole lot of laughter along the way. As we raise our families in the west suburbs of Chicago we invite you to listen weekly as we dish about all the highs and lows and ridiculous amount of tomfoolery that ensue on this journey. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts as we check out new local spots, interview all sorts of interesting people, and catch up with each other! It’s like inviting two friends over to visit and catch up with without all the hassle of getting ready for company. Leave the entertaining to us and be sure to tune in for a new episode each Monday.

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S5 · E16
Yesterday · 32 min
Running
Send us Fan Mail Running has a way of making people sound a little obsessed, and we get into why that is, even while we are still side-eyeing the idea of voluntarily doing the first mile. We start where we always seem to start: real life. Bootcut jeans making a comeback, foods we refuse to try on principle, and a bungee-jumping story that raises way too many safety questions. Then we do what any responsible adults do and conduct important research by taste testing wildly specific Oreos, including a banana pudding flavor that goes off the rails fast. After the snack chaos, we shift into the real theme: running as a habit, a mindset, and a surprisingly powerful form of self-care. We talk about what makes running so accessible compared to other hobbies, how friendships deepen through training, and what it looks like to begin running in your 40s when you have never been “a runner.” We also dig into practical motivation, why starting with five minutes can be the right plan, and how structure, community, and even tools like ChatGPT can help you build a routine that does not wreck your life. We round it out with running culture and trivia: why marathons are 26.2 miles, what Gen Z is doing with running clubs and sober socializing, and why breaking a record by a sliver still counts as history. If you want encouragement, laughs, and a beginner-friendly way to think about running without pressure, you are in the right place. Subscribe, share this with a friend who keeps “meaning to start,” and leave a review with your first tiny running goal: what are you willing to try this week? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E15
September 21 · 36 min
Computers and a lot about Noras Birthday
Send us Fan Mail Computers used to feel like a destination. You walked into a school computer lab like it was a clean room, kept your snacks far away, and hoped your floppy disk would cooperate. That’s where we start: the very specific nostalgia of growing up with Apple IIe machines, dot matrix printers, Number Munchers, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and the loud click-clack keyboards that made you feel official even when you were just messing around. From there, we follow the timeline into dial-up internet, AOL, instant messages, and the first email addresses we will never live down. We talk about the weird logistics of being online when it tied up the family phone line, the era of internet cafes while traveling, and the college years of burning CDs and building mix collections. It’s a reminder that “tech skills” used to include patience, planning, and a lot of improvising. Then we jump to now: working retail tech (including an Apple Store job), what customers are really asking for when they ask for help, and the simplest troubleshooting step that still solves most problems: turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. We also get into modern AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, how quickly they’ve become workplace sidekicks, and why it’s both helpful and a little unnerving when technology mirrors your tone and calls you by name. Along the way, we sprinkle in real life too: birthday highs, a delivery mix-up, and the parenting scramble that makes apps like Uber Eats feel like a rescue button. If you love tech nostalgia, digital life stories, and practical tech tips you can actually use, hit play. Subscribe, share with a friend who remembers dial-up, and leave a review. What piece of old-school tech do you weirdly miss most? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E14
September 14 · 29 min
The Noras Dish
Send us Fan Mail A robot vacuum that records audio and video sounds like a joke until it is the reason someone gets caught cheating and then gets in trouble with the law. We start there, but we do not stay serious for long, because our catch-up after Labor Day includes a full Chardy Party debrief. From creepy headlines we jump to home horror stories that feel way too real: a scary movie pick that leaves a grandpa rattled, plus an actual bat incident that will make you want to sleep with the lights on. Then we do what any responsible adults would do and taste-test a wild limited-edition snack, the Chicken And Waffles Oreo, breaking down what it tastes like and why novelty food trends keep winning the internet. The heart of the conversation is comfortingly domestic: dishes. We talk everyday dinnerware, seasonal plate sets, wedding china regrets, and the oddly heated rules of loading and unloading a dishwasher. We get nostalgic about childhood plates, unpack why modern dinner plates keep getting bigger, and share a travel story where paying extra for sealed “clean dishes” suddenly makes total sense. If you love kitchen organization, home routines, household systems, and the small stuff that reveals how a family really works, you will feel seen. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who has strong dishwasher opinions, and leave a review with your hottest take: do you swap dishes by season or stick with one set all year? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E13
August 31 · 35 min
Fasten your seatbelts...We're going for a ride!
Send us Fan Mail Some topics start as small talk and somehow turn into a full map of modern life, and “rides” does exactly that for us. We start with a real-life milestone that hits surprisingly hard: senior night at a high school football game, the photos, the pride, and that quiet feeling that time is moving faster than you want it to. Then we do what we do best, follow the conversation where it leads, including a truly wild headline about a donkey jumping into a moving van and the very relatable question of “what would I do if that happened to me?” Food is the next on-ramp. We taste-test Apple Pie a la Mode Oreos, debate whether they’re delicious or just “candle vibes,” and then get into “Oreo Gate,” the viral mom-group-chat controversy about banning Oreos from lunchboxes. Real or fake, it raises the same questions lots of parents face: how much should one family’s rules shape everyone else’s choices, why group chat drama escalates so fast, and when being a silent lurker is the healthiest option. We also touch on ParentSquare, school communication overload, and a viral Kool-Aid pineapple hack that sounds like Sour Patch Kids made by a chemistry lab. Then we hit the main theme: theme park rides, amusement park rides, carnival rides, roller coasters, and the very personal line between fun and fear. We compare Disney, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland, Six Flags Great America, and Cedar Point, from drop-ride terror to wooden coaster love, plus the surprisingly emotional power of sharing a ride as a family. We round it out with modern “rides” too: Uber, Waymo, and how normal it feels to climb into a stranger’s car in 2026. If you like honest parenting talk, funny nostalgia, and practical life hacks with a side of roller coaster debate, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who hates drop rides, and leave a review so more people can find us. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E12
August 24 · 33 min
No Topic All Catch Up
Send us Fan Mail School is back, the alarms are brutal, and we’re trying to remember how we used to do this every day. We talk through the real back-to-school reset: forcing kids to go to bed, dragging them up in the morning, and realizing that even when we miss summer flexibility, our kids actually do better with structure. Because our brains are clearly still in summer mode, we also detour into the funniest, strangest headlines we can’t stop thinking about: two guys surviving five days at sea while floating in a fishing cooler, an Annapolis sock burning festival to declare winter over, a Rhode Island squid spill that turns a roadway into a “squidpocalypse,” and a German sheep that somehow ends up on a bus and through a car wash. It’s light, it’s weird, and it’s exactly the kind of laughter we need during week one. We close with highs and lows that every parent will recognize: miscommunications that turn pickups into a panic, the kindness of families who step in without judging, and the quiet wins that matter most. One of our favorite moments is a first big concert with a little girl at the United Center to see Kasey Musgraves, keeping it simple because the thing is the thing. If you’re juggling school mornings, family schedules, and the mental load, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a laugh, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E11
August 17 · 27 min
Nightcap with the Noras and the ladies of Waggin Wagon
Send us Fan Mail A daycare bus that picks up dogs like kids for a field trip sounds impossible until you hear how thoughtfully it’s built. We’re on location at The Gravy Lady in La Grange, eating like royalty, and sitting down with Amanda and Kat, the driving force behind Wagon Wagon, a door-to-door dog transportation and enrichment service that’s blowing up across the western suburbs. We get into the real origin story: a TikTok-inspired leap, buying a former daycare bus, and turning it into a safe, structured ride where each dog has a secure spot. Amanda shares how her background in education helped her build routines and “classroom management” for pups, while Kat brings deep dog-breed knowledge and a sharp instinct for reading behavior. We talk dog screening, the one hard line they won’t cross (aggression), and why they move dogs from the bus straight into a fully fenced private yard instead of a public dog park. Then we hit the fun stuff: enrichment puzzles like the famous muffin-tin game, themed weeks, simple art projects owners actually keep, and the surprisingly emotional part of watching dogs light up when the Wagon Wagon pulls up. You’ll also hear the most unglamorous side of pet care, including a bus poop disaster that spirals into the kind of story you’ll retell at dinner. If you’re searching for dog daycare alternatives, dog enrichment ideas, or a reliable midday service for dogs home alone, this conversation is packed with practical details, laughs, and local small business energy. Subscribe, share this with a fellow dog person, and leave a review with your pup’s name and biggest quirk. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E10
August 10 · 31 min
Just Keep Swimming
Send us Fan Mail A 24-hour flight just happened, and we cannot decide if it is a miracle of modern travel or a fresh new circle of misery. We start in full summer mode, talking about being home alone, how the house stays weirdly clean when the kids are gone, and the creeping back-to-school reality that brings uniforms, shoes, homework, and the nightly job of getting everyone to bed. Then we pivot into the kind of fun trivia that sends you down a rabbit hole: the yearly list of unique college football player names. We talk about what makes a name unforgettable, why punctuation shows up where it does not belong, and how a “normal” first name paired with an unfortunate last name can create real-world awkwardness. It is goofy, but it also says something about identity and the snap judgments we all make. From there, we dig into long-haul travel and what it would really feel like to stay on a plane for an entire day, from cabin comfort to turbulence anxiety to the price gap between economy and first class. And yes, we revisit the very real trend of nude dining nights at a fancy restaurant, because once you picture steak, napkins, and bathroom breaks, the questions multiply fast. We wrap with the most important turn of the conversation: swimming and water safety. One of us learned to swim at 28 while pregnant, and that story opens up a bigger point about adult swim lessons, breathing, confidence, and the fact that many Americans still do not know how to swim. If you have ever felt behind on a “basic” skill, this is your reminder that it is never too late to learn. Subscribe, share with a friend who would laugh at the name list, and leave a review with your take: nonstop 24 hours or layover break? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E9
August 3 · 35 min
Noras Make-Up
Send us Fan Mail A tiny drink that looks like a Guinness but tastes like dessert sounds harmless, right until we’re debating whether it should be a shot, a sipper, or poured over ice cream. We start with National Ice Cream Sandwich Day (melty is best, hard cookies are risky), then jump into our Baby Guinness experiment with Kahlua and Bailey's. Along the way we take a detour through novelty shot glasses, random trivia, and the kind of small talk that somehow turns into real life. Things get unexpectedly practical when we talk daylight saving time. The promise of “just pick one time forever” sounds great until you picture winter mornings where the sun barely shows up before work and school. We unpack why sleep experts push for consistency, why dark mornings feel so rough, and why politicians hesitate when constituents imagine sunrise creeping toward 8:00 a.m. or later in some cities. Then it’s full pop culture whiplash: the viral trend of dunking a McDonald’s cheeseburger in Diet Coke (we have strong feelings), plus a genuinely charming palate cleanser, Denmark’s Santa convention with gift-wrapping contests and gingerbread eating. From there we settle into our main topic, cosmetics: minimalist makeup routines, tinted moisturizer with SPF, eyeliner that looks natural, lip gloss versus lipstick, and what kids learn from TikTok beauty tutorials. We also share an eye doctor-approved makeup remover recommendation, swap product memories, and talk 2026 makeup trends like butter skin, blended blush, smoky liner, and natural nails. If you like funny everyday stories with useful tips you can actually try, hit subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find us. What’s your “core four” makeup routine right now? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E8
July 27 · 36 min
Cinco de Annabel - Two Noras interview Best Selling Author Annabel Monaghan
Send us Fan Mail She finished her last tour event last night and still showed up today with stories, secrets, and the kind of candor that makes us love Annabel Monaghan even more. We’re raising a glass for “Cinco De Annabel” and talking Dolly All The Time, her Good Morning America Book Club pick that delivers a swoony summer romance! We get the behind-the-scenes version of author life, from London and Paris publishing visits to the pure excitement of sitting on the Good Morning America couch and knowing every awkward second lives forever. Then we pivot to Dolly herself: what her podcast would be, why her talents read like survival skills, and the moment Annabel realized Dolly’s caretaking had a shadow side. We dig into the emotional truth of overfunctioning, people-pleasing, and how “doing it all” can rob the people around you of the chance to show up. The conversation also turns personal, with honest parenting insight on middle school friendships and raising teenage boys, plus a reminder that silence can be a powerful kind of support. Annabelle shares why Sancerre made it onto the page, how Newport mansions helped her build Stewart's old-fashioned energy, and the magical real-life origin story of meeting an actual reader named Dolly who sparked the novel. And yes, there’s a teaser for the next book: a slow train to Montauk, a four-hour connection, a brutal platform twist, and a jump to age 39. If you love author interviews, romance novels, summer reads, and conversations that mix craft with real life, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a good book, and leave us a review telling us what you’re reading right now. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E7
July 20 · 37 min
Camp Nora and Nora
Send us Fan Mail Chicago is choking on hazardous air, and we’re doing what we always do when life feels a little too real: talking it through until it turns funny, useful, and oddly comforting. We start with the anxiety of watching the air quality index climb and the way headlines can reshape a normal day, then jump to the week’s most unsettling food safety news, including why Taco Bell lettuce somehow becomes the villain in a world where “cheese substancel” keeps surviving. From there, we tumble into the internet’s trend cycle: soft serve dipped in melted butter with sea salt, the lifelong feasibility of drinking one million beers (spoiler: the math is unhinged), and a surprisingly organized WhatsApp group that’s trying anyway. We also debate beer slushies, the rules of what counts as “a beer,” and the delightful discovery that a baby Guinness is a shot that has absolutely nothing to do with Guinness. Then we bring it home with summer camp talk: who went as a kid, what day camp does best, why February camp emails make us want to scream, and how easy it is to over-schedule until summer becomes one long car ride. We also share why diabetes camp can be such a powerful experience for kids and families, plus a quick history lesson on how American summer camp became a “back to nature” institution in the first place. If you like funny conversation with real-life parenting truths, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’s deep in summer logistics, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.
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S5 · E6
July 13 · 40 min
Linens and towels and sheets...Oh My!
Send us Fan Mail You know those conversations that start with a normal life update and somehow end with you rethinking your entire home setup? That’s where we land today, starting with Fourth of July traditions and the kind of small-town parade day that leaves you both exhausted and happy. Then we take a sharp turn into curiosity bait: the naked bike ride in downtown Chicago (go as bare as you dare), a blind taste test of a cinnamon bun Oreo, and a hit of pure nostalgia when we scroll through retired 90s candy. If you grew up on Butterfinger BB’s, Lifesaver Holes, String Thing, and peak convenience store snacks, this one will pull you right back. We also react to the internet’s most questionable food inventions, from Pringles chip-flavored hot dog buns sold one bun per can to over-the-top stadium food that makes us beg for plain hot dogs and popcorn. The heart of the conversation is linens: bed sheets, top sheets, duvet covers, fitted sheet folding, towel quality, bath sheets, terry cloth robes, cloth napkins, and linen clothing that wrinkles if you look at it wrong. We trade practical tips, pet peeves, and the little household habits that quietly shape your day, plus a quick detour into luxury bedding economics (yes, we found sheets that cost five figures and a mattress that costs as much as a house). If you laughed, learned, or felt personally attacked by the top-sheet debate, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. Are you team top sheet, or are you with Gen Z? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E5
July 6 · 32 min
Nightcap and a recap
Send us Fan Mail A summer recap can sound simple until you zoom in on the details: a 5:15 a.m. start line, 68 miles on real roads, a Disney Cruise Line concierge happy hour, and a sunscreen mistake so specific it only burns your ankles. We’re nightcapping with the Noras and telling the truth about what we’ve been up to, including a charity bike ride supporting pediatric brain tumor research and why doing something hard with your dad becomes an instant “memory maker.” Then we jump to family travel on the Disney Treasure ship with 16 relatives spanning ages 3 to 77. We talk about why Disney cruising works for big groups, how we keep everyone happy without over scheduling, and the small rituals that make the trip feel like a floating five star hotel. If you’ve ever tried to plan a multi generation vacation, you’ll hear practical ideas for balancing together time with the freedom to scatter. We also get into the St. Thomas kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling adventure that turns into a comedy of rule following, forgotten water shoes, and the dreaded reverse golfer’s tan ankle sunburn. From there it’s on to Disney World without a stroller, Lightning Lane strategy, decision fatigue, and the blister that proves we walked the parks for real. We close with champagne tasting tips, reactions to wild headlines like the Empire State Building proposal, and a summer book recommendation before our upcoming author interview. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who loves a good vacation story, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.
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S5 · E4
June 22 · 33 min
T-Shirts
Send us Fan Mail You know that feeling when summer makes the world seem a little louder, a little weirder, and somehow more fun? That’s the energy we’re bringing today as we start with real-life catch-up, kid commentary that cracks us up, and a “would you rather” that escalates into donuts, stitches, and the kind of questions only children ask with confidence. From there, we go global in the best way. We talk World Cup watching and the moment that deserves the attention it’s getting: Japanese fans cleaning up the stadium because leaving a space better than you found it is the point. Then we keep the international streak alive with a taste test of tinto de verano, the classic Spanish summer drink made with red wine, citrus soda, and lots of ice. If you’ve been hunting for an easy summer cocktail, a lighter sangria alternative, or a new patio drink, this one might be your new staple. And because our brains never stay in one lane, we hit the wild headlines too: Denmark’s mullet competition, the Gen Z phrase “low vibe relationships” and what it actually means, plus a truly ridiculous real-world coincidence involving paying at the same store with the same “wand” card holder. We also debate what’s worth paying for, from expensive firefly camping to the beach “plop vacation” trend that some people swear resets the nervous system and we swear does the opposite. We wrap with our t-shirt deep dive, from what we wear to bed to the nostalgic shirts we can’t throw away, plus a quick look at t-shirt history and how it went from undershirt to cultural icon. Listen, laugh, and then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review if you’re enjoying the show.
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S5 · E3
June 15 · 37 min
Talkin' Toys
Send us Fan Mail A star-shaped wand that holds your credit card and lets you tap to pay sounds like a joke until you realize it might be the perfect tool for anyone who loses their card every other day. We start with summer life in full swing, then unwrap the kind of gift that instantly becomes a household legend and a potential menace in any drive-thru line. From there, we do what we do best: chase curiosity wherever it goes. We taste-test a limited edition Oreo that somehow pulls off a true brown sugar pancake flavor, talk about why viral snacks and pop culture collaborations keep getting wilder, and then try to redeem ourselves with a quick reality check on the health benefits of tea, antioxidants, and that “maybe it cancels out the sugar” logic we all use. Things get even more surprising when we dig into unusual traditions like Japan’s Naki Sumo Crying Baby Fest and the rodeo phenomenon of mutton busting, then switch gears to practical modern life with the 10 commandments of group chat etiquette. Our main theme brings it home: toys and nostalgia. We revisit childhood classics, the charm of real toy stores, the most popular toys by generation, and the complicated feelings that come with decluttering your kids’ old favorites while trying to keep the memories. If you like funny parenting stories, nostalgia, toy talk, snack reviews, and the small social rules nobody teaches you, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who still loves toys, and leave a review so more people can find us. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E2
June 8 · 37 min
Two Noras and a Community Spotlight
Send us Fan Mail Someone in the neighborhood treats Super Junk Day like a free shopping trip and rolls off with two kids’ bikes and suddenly it’s not a cute curbside story anymore. We talk through what happened next, why an AirTag made all the difference, and the practical reality of keeping tabs on kids and their stuff when devices die and summer schedules get messy. If you’ve ever wondered whether tracking tech is worth it, this real-life moment makes a pretty strong case. From there, we take a hard left into the internet’s favorite category: food and wellness trends that feel one step removed from parody. Think National Cheese Day, National Tetris Day, the so-called Bible diet, and even energy drinks branded with religious imagery. We unpack the appeal, the discomfort, and the marketing choices that turn faith into a product label. Then we hit a headline that truly tests the limits of our appetite for news: a Spaghettios worms story that is equal parts horrifying and impossible to ignore. Next, we bring it home with a community spotlight on the St. John of the Cross Parish Garage Sale, a 51-year tradition that runs like a mini department store inside a school. You’ll hear how donations are handled, how volunteers clean and stage items, why people line up before sunrise, and the genius of a $10 “shopping spree” that clears the building fast. We also share where the money goes, including scholarships and support for multiple charities, which makes bargain hunting feel a lot more meaningful. If you love neighborhood stories, community events, practical tips, and a little pop-culture chaos, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who lives for a good sale, and leave a review so more people can find us. What’s your best secondhand treasure or your worst curbside mistake? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S5 · E1
June 1 · 38 min
Season Five, High Five
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season Five! A wheel of cheese flying down a steep hill while grown adults cartwheel after it sounds fake, but it’s real and it’s our kind of “what did I just watch?” kickoff to season five. We start with summer creeping in, school schedules getting weird, and that parenting scramble where someone always has the wrong dismissal time. From there, we lean into the stories that make life feel lighter, even when everything is busy. We get into the Gloucestershire cheese rolling contest (unofficial but still unhinged), then move to internet food trends like the TikTok chip bag sandwich and a product we can’t stop thinking about for all the wrong reasons: the Hellmann’s mayo bow tie, a wearable condiment dispenser that should probably come with a warning label. If you love pop culture, viral trends, and the humor hidden in everyday life, you’ll feel right at home. Things turn surprisingly thoughtful when we talk friendship and trust through the “two beers and a puppy” test. It’s a simple way to name the difference between the friends you have fun with and the friends you’d trust with something that matters. We also debate whether the modern handbag is fading out as pockets, briefcases, and cargo shorts surge, and we share what’s actually inside our bags. Add in a creepy seven-foot puppet found on a Massachusetts lawn, some pure 90s nostalgia (Five Alive, High-C, Ecto Cooler), and a quick dive into the origin of the high five, and you’ve got a season opener packed with laughs and real-life warmth. If you enjoy funny, relatable conversations about motherhood, friendship, and modern life, subscribe, share this with a friend who’d pass the puppy test, and leave a review so more people can find us. What’s one trend you secretly hope is over? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S4 · E46
May 25 · 37 min
Teachers
Send us Fan Mail Somebody emails you out of the blue and says, “We’d like you to apply.” Sounds flattering, right? We start there with a real Wordle game show casting invite, then take a sharp turn into the kind of everyday stories that make you laugh and cringe at the same time: a frog surviving inside a bag of lettuce, a woman who literally breaks into a house to clean it and leaves a $75 note, and the Swatch collaboration release so chaotic people end up getting pepper sprayed at the mall. After the snack break and cookie ranking debate, we shift into the heart of the conversation: teachers. Teacher appreciation is nice, but we want to talk about what the job actually requires and why so many educators are exhausted by the end of the day. We trade stories about the teachers who stuck with us, from feisty nuns to legendary high school English teachers, and we dig into what’s hardest now: classroom management, constant emails with parents and students, standardized testing pressure, and trying to reach kids who arrive at wildly different learning levels. We also pull in the bigger education picture with teacher workload and burnout stats, plus the reality of shorter attention spans and why “brain breaks” are not a trendy extra, they’re a practical tool. If you care about education, school culture, student learning, and supporting teachers, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a teacher you love, and leave a review with the name of a teacher who changed your life.
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S4 · E45
May 18 · 35 min
Two Noras and Best Selling Author Sean Ryan
Send us Fan Mail The podcast becomes a family affair as Nora and Nora welcome Nora's little brother, New York Times Best Selling Author, Sean Ryan! Sean pops by the pod to talking about his new graphic novel, "Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo"! A robot boy who’s relentlessly upbeat and a grumpy old penguin should not be able to exist in the same story without everything falling apart, yet somehow it works and it’s hilarious and heartfelt. Sean unpacks how his middle grade graphic novel 'Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo" went from an idea he first played with years ago to a fully built, wildly visual adventure you can actually hold in your hands. We talk about the real mechanics of the creative process: why “blank page” fear is normal, how smart constraints make writing easier, and how worldbuilding problems can become story solutions. Sean shares the key breakthrough that made the book click, letting his characters come from different worlds, plus why he chose a Jane Austen inspired setting as a mirror for the theme of partnership and teamwork. If you love graphic novels, comics, children’s books, or storytelling craft, there’s a lot here to steal for your own work. Sean also pulls back the curtain on how you write a graphic novel script, panel-by-panel directions, dialogue, expressions, pacing, and how much trust it takes to collaborate with an illustrator. And yes, we get the origin story of his Marvel internship, including the infamous Spider-Man Frosted Flakes box resume. Pre-order your copy today! Amazon Barnes and Nobel PaperCutz Subscribe so you don’t miss what we’re making next, and if you enjoyed this one, share it with a friend who loves comics or creativity and leave a quick review. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S4 · E44
May 11 · 36 min
Something's Fishy...
Send us Fan Mail World Password Day has us spiraling because somehow we all have a thousand logins and none of them are the right one at the right time. We trade honest confessions about password reuse, the “make up nonsense words” method, and why storing everything in a notes app can feel brilliant until you realize you’re one forgotten step away from a full reset loop. It’s funny, but it’s also a real look at how digital security and everyday life collide, especially when you’ve got family accounts, devices, and endless sign-ins to manage. From there, we jump to a headline that makes everyone wince: a Fenway Park Jumbotron proposal where the answer is “I don’t know.” We talk about the weird pressure of public proposals, what a surprise moment should actually feel like, and share our own engagement stories where the plan goes slightly off the rails. Then we pivot into travel and consumer curiosity, including a double decker airplane seat design that promises more legroom while raising big questions about turbulence, claustrophobia, and whether “innovation” always improves the flight experience. And because our brains work like this, we take a hard turn into fish. Not just eating fish and cooking salmon, but pet fish road trips, goldfish history, Goldfish crackers trivia, aquarium opinions, fishnets, and the darker internet side of catfishing scams. We wrap with highs and lows that get real: parenting through injury, fighting off a cold, celebrating a school musical, and the kind of gratitude that shows up as tears over concert tickets. If you like funny conversation with surprising facts and genuine life updates, hit play, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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S4 · E43
May 4 · 46 min
A Tip Top Episode About Jobs
Send us Fan Mail A four-ounce canned margarita that drinks like a full-sized cocktail, a gas-pump mistake that turns into a full-body wardrobe emergency, and the kind of week where you’re sprinting from sports to rehearsals and still trying to be a functioning adult. That’s where we start, and it only gets better from there. We talk about the real work behind a middle school musical, from tech week logistics to the emotional side of getting kids onstage when nerves and peer cruelty show up. One moment with bubble guns in a gym becomes a surprisingly good lesson in leadership, arts education, and how to shift a room’s energy fast. Then we jump to prom culture and how it’s changed, why the pre-prom hoopla can overshadow the actual dance, and why so many kids seem completely wiped out by sleepovers now. From flying-car headlines to fashion nonsense, we also dig into what we’re willing to trust: autonomous air taxis from Manhattan to JFK, self-driving cars like Waymo, and the strange marketing power of Chanel’s heel-only “shoe.” It’s funny, but it’s also a look at attention, safety, and why novelty sells. Our main topic is jobs: first jobs, summer jobs, college jobs, and the stories you carry forever. We swap everything from babysitting as kids to courthouse filing in domestic relations, getting fired and handing over the shirt off your back and theater department gigs. We wrap with kids’ chores, side hustles, and the idea that the most meaningful work might not come with a paycheck. Subscribe, share with a friend, leave a review, and tell us: what job taught you the biggest lesson? Mike Haggerty Buick GMC Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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