The Marissa Mitchell Show: October 20, 2026

Most part of mom is you already know. It's probably a recurring condition during pregnancy, and a Pilates instructor is going to show us moves that can help support your core strength. Oh, yeah, that's a big one. It's pretty common after you have a baby. So, yeah, we'll talk more about it tomorrow. Okay, well, we'll do some core strength with you tomorrow. We will. You've got to talk about breathing and just sucking it in, the core. We'll take it back. I can do that, too. Thanks for joining us, guys, on Good Day DC. Marissa, over to you. I'm doing my best to suck it in, too, ladies. I've got to remember, suck it in. we're going to have so much fun maybe be laughing with stitches we're going to need that in just a bit I have Henrietta here JoJo so many hot topics yes ma'am you are ready let's go let's get into it yes yes thanks for hanging out with us on the Marissa Mitchell Show welcome to the Marissa Mitchell Show it is 11 o'clock and it's so good to have you here on a Tuesday always and also we're going to get into some hot topics we have a billionaire who told his family to go find work In fact, he says, get a J-O-B. And then we're going to get to the 4-1-1 on fall's biggest trends, so hang around for the entire hour because we have something for everybody. And that's the billionaire I'm talking about, the one, the only, Tyler Perry. What would you do if, say, he's your uncle, your billionaire uncle, that is, and he tells you to get a job and stop asking him for money? We're going to get into that debate on this one. I'm sure there are some priceless clapbacks coming up in just a few. Plus, the season's biggest trends might be already in your closet. Don't overlook them, and you can rock them without losing your identity. The pro is in the house to show us how. And later, they also say you don't get to really know a person until you've been in their home. What if you spot something in your boo's house that made you look at them sideways? We're going to share the top four deal breakers that people are talking about. And I cannot wait to hear about all of your red flag sightings. Just scan the QR code to send your opinions or your first time seeing their play stories. You know, we love getting in your business, M-Squad. We're going to read those messages throughout the hour. And some would say the friendly skies are not so friendly anymore. No, no. A woman has made a seat change request. When she did that, it led to tears and a video that has gone viral. I cannot wait to get into who was in the wrong and who was in the right in this trending topic. And we're going to wrap things up with the Meals Made Easy and Fitness Flex, two for one, Thanksgiving literally next month. So we're going to give you some early healthy recipes for the family and a workout that will pair well for that gathering. It's going to come up in just about five weeks, so we'll make sure you're prepared. So what I'm saying is it's a turn-up Tuesday. In fact, we're going to head over to the other side of the studio to join some of our friends that we invited to get into the feeds. I was laughing, rolling, in fact, at some of the stories. So I'm so glad that we have Henrietta and JoJo here with us. And she's pulling double duty because she's going to also do a fashion segment with us and also media personality podcast host JoJo Cruz in the building. I think this is the first time pairing. This is my first time. Yes, yes. I love these pairings. Thank you. Thank you so much. and i cannot wait to get your take too on mixing fabrics i try to do that as well we'll see if i'm on trend i'm sure you are i'm sure you all right let's get into these situations first starting off with tyler perry whose new movie i'm just going to step out on a limb and say this it's going to be number one when it drops on netflix when this church went down so did the neighborhood we're supposed to get people to come to church with all this going on evangelizing baby all right that is the gospel of christmas it is set for november 11th release but something he said last year on kurt franklin's podcast is picking up steam all over again this is what tyler perry does he gives a 60 day ultimatum letter to his relatives that he supports telling them listen you have 60 days to become gainfully employed instead of relying on permanent handouts for me and he said that every relative eventually they find work and they take some months may take some years but they do he also explained that true help should empower and build people up rather than creating a cycle of dependency what are your thoughts on that okay now it makes sense why he said he's moving to Puerto Rico he said i'm tired i can't do this i'm not Wells Fargo i'm not Chase Bank i don't know how many people on the payroll that he has to send out simply day notices. That seems like a lot. It must be Berserk, and he's always on Forbes magazine as a billionaire, so everybody knows he has it. So how do you cut it off? Everybody talks about how much he's doing for our community. He's giving people jobs, keeping people gainfully employed. That's a lot of pressure they have on your back, so I'm happy that he's taking the time for himself and that he's setting his boundaries and cutting people off, family and all. Kenrietta, you're here for the six-day notice. I feel like whatever he says, I'm listening. He's a billionaire, so I'm listening to whatever he says, so I'm all for it. I'm taking the advice. I've had times in my life when I've been too broke can pay attention okay the money was funny so i understand wanting to go to a relative for help and i think it's also admirable that he at least provides it right he's just saying you can't come to me forever right you know my family who's a support system for everybody and i've been that guy who gives the money out i've had them set up the reason cut people off and it's hard when you it's like the Beyonce song, every time i say yes it's cool but when i say no i tell you it's always is a problem, but you've got to set the boundaries for yourself. Cut people off. Sometimes you've got to tell them to the left, to the left and keep them moving. Get in formation. You've got to go all day with these. Give me deja vu right now. Now to a woman who knows something about good life lessons and teachings. If you watch our show, you've seen her. Our good friend, my good friend, Ayanna Van Zandt. She's reflecting upon her time as host of Ayanna Fix My Life, and she says the show didn't just transform her guests, it transformed everybody involved i'm very aware that recently you had a kind of a public breakdown with your sister ayala says she and the crew would pray together every morning from the camera person to the sound person to the producer she says that it created a sacred space and ultimately made the environment better for the guests i can attest ayala is a real one she's as real as they come i mean i've shared personal things with her off air and she's definitely been a mentor for me there's a picture of us that's from years ago in new orleans uh but i think you have to create that space even off air if you want to give off authentic right uh moments on television right it starts behind the scenes yeah this energy it just seems to follow her she also came to the restaurant the family restaurant you know Ruby's and Ruby's she did a custom quilt for my family um with like our whole lineage on the quilt it was a whole moment but her energy when she came to the restaurant it just like radiated the entire space it's like oh she really is that in real life like so i love this i feel like when i'm around the yalla i instantly become five years old i'll do this uh-huh give me some water i really do right and i'm very big on just creating that safe space so people feel really vulnerable to really speak i mean the types of topics that she talks about are heavy so you definitely want to create that safe space for everyone you're talking generational curses you're talking people have gone through all kinds of strife yeah so it has to come from a real place because guess what it's my life your entertainment exactly life goes on after that episode airs so you have to be able to pick up the pieces uh moving on now are you the dominant one in your relationship think about it one lifestyle expert i feel like jojo is weighing in on the four signs that expose just who's wearing the pants in the relationship number one you make the most decisions for your relationship to make the most money or financial decisions Those two are not the same. Three, always have to have the final word. And four, your goals and plans always take a front seat. Am I calling anybody out here on the panel? See, I got real, right? It's the old Lord standing in the need of prayer. My other half is in the green room. A lot of these, yes. But that comes from me being like, I was the oldest child. And I was like, like I told you, I was the caretaker for a lot of my family. So it's a natural fit. That's just what I gravitate towards. um but it shows up sometimes in other relationships and it gets a little awkward at times but we have a nice balance we balance it out i was about to say if your partner is okay with it and they understand your strength in being the leader is there anything wrong with it nothing at all we balance each other out see i feel like i'm the energetic leader i feel like women are just more about energy and he's more like physical so i feel like it's a balance i don't know yeah i kind of see it okay well i think for me and then people ask me that question all the time they're like are you the leader yes i'm trying to work whatever i don't have an issue letting a man lead if he's capable of right i will follow you all don't lead me to hell right you're capable of doing it but i think understanding your personality style your partner's personality style like you said finding that balance is key to each its own and if it doesn't work a new study from the university of toronto reports singles are okay without mingling this is very interesting research finding that out of nearly 3 000 unpartnered adults 3 000 people and over an 11 year period 90 percent reported consistently feeling happier being single That's almost everybody. Experts say even as desire for romance and sexual satisfaction fluctuates, personal contentment is key in choosing to remain single. My question to both of you, I've been seeing this blowing up online. There are some people out there who believe you don't choose to be single to be happier. You're just single by circumstance, not by choice. What do you think of this study and people choosing singleness for their happiness? I feel like people just know they're worth more now. So I think that's kind of what that's probably leading to. I'm married and happy, so I'm not part of this. But I feel like people just know they're worth. They're not just settling anymore. But when you were single, were you okay at any point being single? Or were you always searching and striving for partnership? I'm a woman. I feel like women always want to be married. So probably. But I just think women just know they're worth more. They're just not settling for anything anymore. I think also we're all so busy now. Like everybody's busy. Everybody's got 50, 11 jobs. it's so much work to be in a relationship and to balance and to manage that it's probably easier to just be single like you don't have to the dating is expensive you know being in a relationship is expensive so it's easier to just be single yeah i would always say a good relationship is better than being single if it's good of course not for the sake of of that because you can do bad all by yourself once again you can add your voice even a hot take to this panel i want to hear your take on a dating debate that we're going to get into as well so scan the qr code to share something in a potential partner's home this is someone you're getting to know that would immediately make you say no thanks i'm good maybe you've already seen it you got a story to share don't be shy and later in the recap Henrietta is going to show us how to work fall's biggest trends into your own closet i wish i could rock that i cannot wait to get her tips apparently she has three of them to make it easier than ever to be yourself and also look fly at the same time and i feel like october is moving like she has somewhere to be through the month almost over the holiday season fast approaching but we are in the kitchen with some healthy swaps there she is Kristin's in the house she's going to share some traditional dishes and a test that you can play with your relatives when you gather for those feasts all that and more coming up after this short break already hurting these topics today yes it is this hot sheet we've had in a minute i have media personality Jojo Cruz style expert Henrietta Dodo thank you for coming thank you for having me still got some juice oh yeah all right let's go because model and entrepreneur Jordan Woods opening up about building confidence through failure and personal loss the newlywed was on a panel at Forbes 30 50 summit i've been wanting to go to that for years it's been around about five years, where she talked about past mistakes. She says that her value stems less from getting everything right, but more from moments that actually went wrong. She believes every time she fails, she gains confidence, saying quote, I've never gotten better through everything working out. Do we think these are, I guess, straight facts or straight hype? Totally straight facts. Totally straight facts. I wholeheartedly agree. Everything that I've gone through in my life, it's mostly been the failures that got me to this point. I'm now nominated for a slew of awards Like we talked about on the last show My podcast is nominated for a slew of awards I'm nominated Washington Informer And I've been reflecting lately About all the ways that I failed Getting to this point It's been 13, almost 14, 15 years In media trying to get here And finally getting some recognition It's not overnight It took a long time to get here They call that failing forward That's what we do And you as a business owner Yes, I definitely feel like Most of my lessons have been through Fear and failure I am the type of person just push myself through fear so sometimes failure could be part of that and that's how i learned i think that's the best way that's a great lesson i always tell people to stop always praying away stop praying away your problems or things that you perceive as a problem because it could be the very thing to get you through the next thing and then also be prepared for what you're praying for you need to be ready for whatever that thing is and i thank god for the highs and the lows Yes, that's how I am. I'm here. And also for the people who've been revealed. That part. There you go. That part. Straight facts. Exactly. But the kids need to hear this also because we're in such a fast-paced society where they want instant gratitude. They want everything now. They want everything yesterday. Exactly, yesterday. So they don't realize that you're going to have these bumps in the road and these failures and these, you know, not successes. So they need to see this. Especially with Instagram. I feel like everyone just shows their highlights. So it's kind of hard to kind of want to fail in this society. Nobody's posting the addiction notice. You know, nobody's posting the bad, you know, prognosis from the documents, the highlight reel, so they keep it in perspective. What is the proper way to address the moms in your life? Hi, mom. I know you're watching. Ms. Shirley Mitchell, that debate just hit the shade room thanks to this viral post from X. The person wrote, what do you call your mom? Ma, mommy, mother, mom. People in the comments went off with your two cents. One person said mom, but when I beg, I say mommy. in fact a lot of people said that another one said sugar and finally this comment could end badly at least in my household mommy but diane when she got me messed up i wish i could fix my mouth to say mom i can never i can never i've only called my mom shirley mitchell just now on television so people will know her name i would never call her and i think you felt to slap through the tv but no it's mom or mom yes definitely i've never called my mom gina and in my entire life no yeah i'll be dead i've forgotten my mom's middle name it's always so weird when i've seen people like that i know use their parents first i'm like what is wrong with you like it always was mommy for me and even when i refer to her too and third it's always miss or miss whatever i would never so it's straight hype if you're calling somebody your parents by their first names but it always missed or missed her in front there you go i grew up thinking what was a bad word yeah i cannot even answer what no mom dad excuse me pardon me so no that would not fly in the mitchell household according to the new york post a travel blogger tamiko harvey went viral for sharing a recent flight experience i'm on the fence on this one a fellow passenger asked if she could give up her aisle seat so she could sit next her husband. Well, Harvey said no and the woman cried for three hours, y'all. That's three hours on a ten-hour flight. Wow. No, the courier said she just missed her husband. Girl. Harvey's saying no to this woman. We want to call it straight hype or straight facts. You have the option to pick your seat on most of these flights. The window seat or the aisle seat, that's what I want. I'm not going to move. I don't care if you got a baby, I don't care if it's grandma. What about the baby? I've always been scared of flights so my husband is like my safe space so I would want someone to give up their seat for me so I I'm on the give up I won't cry though I hate flights I hate turbulences. I hate it all. So please get it for the LLC or something extra. It doesn't hurt to ask. It doesn't hurt to ask, but I'm not crying for three hours. I think that would have been extra. It was. Crazy. All right, it's time now for Tucker's take. He's actually in Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards. He's been there having a time this morning, so we're going to check in with him for the forecast. Marissa, having an amazing morning out here. Sugarloaf Mountain Winery, and we're just celebrating all things nature. The trees are starting to turn colors the winery you can see uh the grapes have been harvested here but it's going to be a beautiful afternoon temperatures later today about 70 degrees with bright sunshine and just very quickly we keep the good times rolling right into the weekend great weekend to get out enjoy a little nature temperatures each afternoon in the 60s to about 70 overnight lows in the 40s enjoy a beautiful week of weather here in the washington area back to you you have tucker straight back listen i love this show but i cannot wait to enjoy the later in just a bit first though in less than 25 minutes she's hard at work in the kitchen a fitness flex and meals made easy to gather two for one as we race towards the holidays we have some healthy twists on some classic dishes also a challenge for all the adults out there see if you can pass the grandkid fitness test ahead of your family gathering also i have not forgotten please scan the qr code to share your dating red flags this when it comes to a significant other's house that you're seeing for the first time producer v Henrietta, JoJo, she said they are blowing us up this may have been the most used QR code so we're going to get into that and your potential boo things after this JoJo Cruz and Henrietta Dodo i've enjoyed you all so much you know what be careful what's in your house and how it's decorated when you bring that special someone over. This is the story I've been telling you all about. A new study asked hundreds of singles about a date's home and what could actually ruin them getting a second date. Now, I think the second date is too soon to bring somebody over, but that's just me. Here are the responses. 56% said unpacked moving boxes. 48% an empty fridge. 42% dirty dishes. 36% said homes without personal touches. This is from Talkify, that matchmaking service. I want to see what you, M-Squad, our viewers, have to say about it. You all are chiming in, so let's dig into the comments. Well, Stephanie, she's talking about, well, thank you, Stephanie. Love the show. We need more of Marissa. Thank you for watching and writing, Stephanie. Let's get to A.B. here. The deal breaker the most is a man going to a man's house, but you can clearly tell that he's an Amazon orderer or hoarder. Okay, there are boxes everywhere. That's one I didn't think about. That's a good one. Thanks for sending that one in. Next up, we have Kaitlyn. His mom picked out his bedspread. No, no, no. Anything come to mind for you two? Oh, instantly. I'm that guy, when I go to people's homes, I don't check the medicine cabinet. I check the back of your toilet, and I check your shower. Do you really? I'm a clean guy. I'm very particular about that, because if you don't keep your bathroom clean, that's probably a problem. That says a whole lot. Let's say you, Henrietta. Mice. Mice! Mice. I'm sorry if I see a mice. I'm running out. That's what I'm saying. That's a lot of work to get to that one. Infestation. Right. Right. But even then, you know, for me... I'm never coming back. Yeah. There's one thing for things not to be tidy. You know, you leave things around. Yeah. I get that. But if it's dirty, and I mean, you go like this and it's just grime and dirt, dust on your finger. That's something important. But we all get untidy. We're all busy. We, you know, have full lives. Uh-huh. But dirty is different. Yeah. You can tell what the house is looking like, what the house is getting. That's unfortunate. And you don't care about what's inside of the house. Right. That's true. I put you in that towel 30, 60 days later. There you go. Thank you so much for coming. We got so many comments that are going to read some more throughout the hour. And Henrietta, you're going to hang around. I am. I am. I'm excited. We're going to do our fashion segment next in the revamp. And I hear you're going to get me involved as well. I am. It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun. I hope I pass the test. you will scan the qr code though if you have not already to share your dating experiences what you see in homes we're going to read those as well thanks again for coming thank you don't go anywhere the second half hour starts after this go ahead the revamp is aimed at working fall's biggest trends into your wardrobe without losing your individuality i'm here now with style and identity expert Henrietta Del Du step on in my friend you're also going to show us how we can use fashion to express ourselves and don't be confined to just one look yeah so my main thing is that we don't have to have one signature style we have many different expressions we should be able to express those things through our style yes we have to do that but then also be us yes yes be authentic to you yes correct but it's all about range essentially when it comes to fall and i know you're into this i see it here your exhibit a mixing different fabrics colors textures Talk about how important that is in curating your style. So this fall, I'm seeing a lot of textures, richness, color, which I think is amazing. And I think this helps you really express your personality through your style. And I feel like that's kind of what I'm doing. So they're just showing how you can mix a different texture just to show your personality through your style. You're not kind of doing it. You're doing it, okay? You're doing a dang thing. I'll put it that way. And then also with silks, I've seen that with silks and wool or silk and leather. That's what we're talking about, too. It can elevate the look even. Yes. As long as you're just showing who you are, being authentic to you, I feel like that's really all that matters. All right. So we have this beautiful model here. What's her name? Yes, we have Monique. It's her birthday today, so today's a special day. Which version do you want? Stevie Wonder version or the regular happy birthday? You know we have to do the Stevie Wonder version. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. That's Monique here on the Marissa Mitchell Show. So now you're going to kind of take over as our pseudo host, and you're going to give me some prompts. and I'm going to, I guess, try things out on Monique here to see if I'm doing it right. Correct. So, Marissa, you will be the stylist for the day. Okay, so I'm the stylist for the day. And I have three different prompts I'm going to be reading to you and you just have to style her really quickly based on those prompts. Okay. Now, with the styling, okay, I'm going to use all of this? All of this, all the accessories, anything that you feel like matches the prompts I'm going to be giving you. Okay, I feel like before you give me the prompts here, I've got to have some tips or something. You've got to give me something. I think the prompts will help you with the tips. They're very, like, it shows a different personality based on the prompts. Okay, let me not be host. And listen, all right, I'm ready for the first prompt. All right, so the first prompt is, she belongs in every room. So I just want you to show how composed, confident, and ready to take up space she could be based on the style that you pick. This in every room, work, play. Oh, my word. Her most bold, confident self. Bold, well, now when you say bold, confident, I want to get yellow. Okay. She belongs in every room? She belongs in any room, and that's her favorite coat, so. Okay, well, it's her birthday. Yes. So I'm going to don her in this beautiful yellow coat. I love it. I love it. Because I feel like the yellow, the brightness, it screams I'm here, I'm confident, I want and need to be seen. Yes. And I'm going to pair this with this bag. I love it. I think that's a nice touch. And I would give her these shades here, which are very lovely, but I don't want to do too much because you said every room. Okay, okay. We do have other prompts, so yes. Okay, so I'm going to stop there. I love it. I love it. And maybe, you know what? Three, two, one. I'm extra. We had another stylist on a few weeks ago who told me the scarf, and we'll just pretend it's tied the right way, on purses or in right now. I love that. So that's going to be her touch of texture and pattern. Perfect. And that's her look. That's perfect. How did I do? How did I do? You did wonderful. I feel like she would feel bold in any room that she walks into. Really? Yes. Oh, my gosh. And you feel good. she looks good. Yes. So that's a key indicator. And that's part of the great way to just add personality. Just, you know, brings a little bit of something to the whole outfit. Is there anything, though, Henrietta, even though I did a good job, that you would tweak that would take it up or down a notch? I am big on just oversized sunglasses. I don't think so much. I don't know what your first thought. I think it would be perfect, but she looks fine just as she is. Yay! Okay, so that's the first one. I guess we should take that one off. Yes, yes. And I'll take this, Monique. So what's my next prompt? The next prompt is I'm not asking for permission. So just dress her to just show her expressive side. She enjoys being seen. So she's not asking for permission. Yes. So I'm going to stick with, I love this leather number. And it screams style, class, contemporary. And also, I'm going to do my thing. Okay. And since we used the black, let's go with this one. Okay. And And I did not use the black for the first one, but I want to use it. Perfect. Perfect. I'm trying to do something different. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Right here. There you go. I don't want to mess up your hair. Okay. That's a look. That's a look. You know what? I think that's brown. If it's brown in the jacket, that's perfect. That is perfect. What do we see? What do we think? Do you want to add the glasses or no? You feel like that'll be too much. Oh, you know what? If you're telling me to add them, I'm going to add these for size. size. Perfect. This is perfect. What do you like about it in terms of. So for flow it's all about texture and just something different. I feel like this is just showing you know expressive fun. She's the moment. I love it. And then I also tried to pull in the browns. I don't know if they could see the brown on the blend here. Kind of turned this way a little bit but I tried to pull that out with the bag. I love it. And the pop. Thanks for popping that collar. I love that. Oh my gosh. This is like real life Barbie. I love it. She looks beautiful. I'm dressing a life-size Barbie doll. I'm living out my childhood dreams here. Any more prompts? Our last prompt is, so I want us to just mix something from the first look and then something from the second look. Oh, okay. What are we keeping? What are we taking away? What are we keeping? What are we taking away? So I think what I will do is take away, I'm going to take away the hat. Okay. And then I'm going to. We're keeping the coat. Yes, I'm going to keep the coat on her. I'm going to give her the black, because that was kind of my preference for the black shoes to begin with. Very sophisticated. And I'm going to do these shades instead of these. There you go. To make that all come together. I love that. That way we got a mixed match of colors. I love that. Now this one appears to just see how we just show different looks, but she's still the same woman. You can still, you know, have multiple different signature expressions and still pull it together. And what I love most, too, is this is accessible for people at home. Yes, yes. You only have a few, you know, things here, but you can create so many outfits out of a few items if you're not afraid to step out there and make things up. Agreed, agreed, agreed. Any final tips, Henrietta? I just feel like when women wake up in the morning, it's not just dressing on autopilot. Just ask yourself, what do I want to express that day? And just kind of lead from there. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Henrietta, thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Happy birthday. She's going to see me on her birthday. Yes, yes, yes. And that's where you all can go to find more information on being styled by Henrietta. You were great. Thank you. Well, your holidays are going to be merrier and healthier than ever, all thanks to our next guest. And a fitness flex and meals made easy, two for one. We're going to make some healthy holiday recipes based on traditional dishes, plus a challenge. I'm really excited for this one, Kristen. It's for all adults out there. See if we can pass the grandkid fitness test. Also, don't be shy. scan the QR code to send in your red flag nightmares for things you've seen at your date's house. We're going to read some more of those. And Producer V, I think we have some already that we could show. You all are certainly running it up throughout our system here. But if we don't show now, we'll show on the other side. Here's Matt Dillon out of NYC. Is that our Matt? Hi, Matt. Baby, we ain't playing games if there's dirty dishes. Want to see personal touches, photos and family and my boo that's specific he's talking about you seeing them or the rat or whatever was going on we also have more coming in thank you matt as always i look forward to seeing you soon on the show he's a fashion designer Henrietta out of New York all right we'll have much more on the other side of the break see you then we're back with your comments so earlier on in the show our main topic today in terms of dating is what are some things you've seen in a partner or maybe a potential partner's home that made you run. You considered it a red flag. Meg is writing from DuPont Circle. She says, not his house, but in his car. He has a keychain hanging around his rearview mirror with a picture of his ex-girlfriend on it. Oh, I felt that in my whole chest. Immediately gave me the ick. I'm with you, girl, Meg. Thank you for writing that. He's had over his ex. You got to move on to your next. And then we have Charles Z out of Southeast D.C. I noticed her toothbrush didn't have any bristles left on it. Okay. After that, I noticed buildup on her teeth. I had to end things shortly after. He did not hold back, did he? I said it's a safe space. Yeah. Don't miss that thing. You want to make sure you're brushing your teeth, and my dentist always says you want to switch those out every three months. Absolutely. In case you're struggling in that area. Brandi out of Traverse City, Michigan, his wife immediately blocked. Now, see, that's somebody playing games. Yes, that's a no-no. You don't want a situation. You want to watch the news, not be on the news. This is Kristen Cofield. Before we get to your segment, and it's a fun one, what do you think about these comments back in your day before the beautiful marriage and all of that? What did you deal with? You know what? Life is a tough sport, and I think dating is harder now than ever before. Oh, yeah. And I wouldn't want to be doing it at all at this point. It's an Olympic sport. It is an Olympic sport, and if something happens to my husband, I am just hanging out with my girlfriends. I understand. I understand. Well, thank you for hanging out with us. Sure. She's actually here to get us ready for the holiday season. We know it's right around the corner, Thanksgiving, 38 days away. I know. Whoa. There's even Christmas stuff in some stores. I know. I saw it at the mall. Yeah, and Macy's actually recently. And at Fitness Flex, meals made easy. This is going to be a crossover. We're going to talk about those big family gatherings, how we make them healthier, easier, and then also more fun. So that's why Kristen Cofield is here. You want to begin, though, before we head over to the kitchen. There's so much over there. I can't even see the countertop. It is Thanksgiving. Yes, it really is. There's also a fitness test you can do, too, at the gathering to make it fun. So a month ago, I gave a TEDx talk called Wired for Purpose, the Case for Active Grandparenting. And today's grandparents are becoming grandparents older because our kids are getting married later. And that makes us, when they have kids, grandparents later. And what you don't realize when you become a grandparent is that if you want to be left alone with your grandkids, you've got to be able to do everything the parents do. And like I'm 67. So if I'm going to be left alone with a six-month-old, a two-year-old and a four-year-old, I've got to be able to keep up. Oh, you got to be ready. My mom is 72. I'm putting her age out there. But my nine-year-old nephew, he'll be nine next week. He is a busy bee. And my mom is more active than most 42-year-olds. And so she's done a good job over the years. Interesting fact, when grandparents are actively involved with their grandchildren, they benefit. There you go. They live healthier, longer lives. They're less lonely. The grandkids benefit because they get this resilience that lasts a lifetime and they get real connection and we're dealing with screen addiction right now so we want to give kids something better so there's one little test it's a longevity test there's one little test so active grandparenting is my company and i showed a video on instagram of me holding a grandchild and getting down on the floor and back up again without using my hands. Oh, my. All right? So you want to do it? I'm going to watch you do it first, Kristen. You want to do it? I even changed shoes just for you. All right, all right. So this is also a longevity test. So it's really important for anybody out there to understand you need to be able to do this. We cannot have any, oh, help, I've fallen and I can't get up moments. So, all right. So you just get down on one knee and then on both knees. Now, you might end up sitting down, scooting your legs in front. But the whole thing is, can you get back up again? And anybody watching, go ahead. Do this right now. Give it a try. It's harder than it looks. It's harder than it looks. And here's one tip because we're talking about fitness here. if you want to start if you can't do this for whatever reason start with something called sit to stand chairs so find a sturdy chair put your arms over your chest sit down and then stand up again motion and right and develop some strength in the in your quads because you know we've become very sedentary and we're sitting more than we should and when you're with grandchildren there's No sitting, baby. Forget about it. It's up and down 50 times a day. And that's why I wrote the book, Active Grandparenting. All right. Well, I want to congratulate you on your book because it is an Amazon bestseller. And we're going to make it go even higher. And today is the first day. Today is the actual book release date. That is awesome. Congratulations. We've been friends. I've had you on Motivation with Marissa many years ago. And it's been so exciting watching you rise. And, Kristen, you deserve all the things. And now we deserve to head over to the kitchen, too, to get into these recipes now that we've worked up our appetite. Absolutely. Let's do it. So let's head all the way over here. How long were you working on your book? It took a year. And so here, let's start with—I took a step out of that one. Let's start with the lemon water. Thanks for the heads up. And let's do a little cheers. Oh, let's do a toast to you and your new book. And to you on your fabulous show, which everybody loves. Thank you. So our number one tip is always hydration. And you know I'm the queen of lemon water. You are. Start each day hydrating because that's going to help you have more pliable muscles. Now, in my book, and these are recipes from active grandparenting. so this is kind of a self-help family dynamic fitness wellness active aging cookbook yeah and it's also you have the traditional things that we come to love and expect from those big thanksgiving feasts but also you don't want someone falling asleep and having fatigue after eating you want to keep it healthy exactly and what we want to do is get grandkids involved in the cooking So passing down traditions are so important for families and getting kids involved in the kitchen. So I loved a kale and cabbage salad. That's just incredible. And you just make a lemon vinaigrette. You can get that at my website at activegrandparenting.com. And put some rubber gloves on your grandkids because the best way to make a kale salad is to massage it. and kids think this is absolutely fantastic playing in the sand exactly what do you put in your vinaigrette uh lemon shallot olive oil salt and pepper that's it it is so yummy and people are always like why is this salad so good and i'm like well it's the dressing you don't feel guilty too about using too much that's my issue with the store stuff dressing making your own you never know what's in it at the store um and i love a great roast chicken and that is something that We can teach kids who are like 8, 9 to make a chicken and slice some onions, put it in a pan. The recipes in this book has the exercises, the wellness tips, the recipes. It's got everything in one book. And I'm all about sharing life hacks. Sometimes, Kristen, folks, chicken is dry. It is dry, parched. How do you make sure that does not happen? So I slice onions, and I put them on the bottom of the pan. So your chicken is going to sit on the onions, and then I squeeze lemon, and I massage the chicken with some salt and pepper and a little seasoning. And just, you know, I don't even time it anymore. I just kind of eyeball it. But if you cook it at a low enough temperature, it's not going to get, you know. And then you, oh, the big thing is, the hack is, make sure after your chicken's cooked, You let it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes so the juices redistribute. Let's talk about everybody's favorite dish. It is the mac and cheese. So this is the famous three-ingredient mac and cheese. When I tell you what's in it, you're going to be surprised. It is a can of tomato soup, a stick of sharp white cheddar cheese, and a pound of pasta. That's it. So grandkids can get involved shredding the cheese, stirring the noodles with the soup and the cheese. And I've got to tell you, I am a wonderful chef. I have cooked in professional kitchens. I have cooked family meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in D.C. for the staff. And every time I make this, people are like, oh, my gosh, this is so delicious. Just a guess. I think, too, I'm listening to you share these recipes and your history with all of this, and I love the fact that you have the whole family in mind. You mentioned several times getting the grandkids involved. Kristen, that's one of my biggest requests. I did not learn those recipes when I was a kid. I would show up and eat and clean up. I was the one doing the dishes and everything afterwards. But looking back over my life, I wish I had gotten in there to learn. It's not too late. It's not too late. You're right. You know, this is a muscle, and we talk about fitness and muscle and flexing. This is our brain. Let's keep our brains active, too. And speaking of fitness, so you're in the kitchen. You're cooking. There are some things you can be doing. You can pick up a lemon, and you can do some, you know, wrist exercises and squeeze. You know, a lot of grandparents struggle with arthritis. Absolutely. Well, guess what? Arthritis loves motion. so keep those stiff joints moving that's the important thing and when you're in the kitchen there's a lot of downtime so here's another thing we can do so we're drinking our water stand up on your toes do the calf raises this stimulates your lymphatic system the lymphatic system is the trash can of the body and we want to help it keep moving those toxins through the hydration okay it's the holidays maybe you're having a little more wine or whatever but for every alcoholic beverage have a nice big glass of water your day i know i do with water and lemon too and this help flushes everything finally here the dessert i know so this is uh my apple crisp it is a family favorite it's my mom's recipe and it's super simple you can have kids, cutting apples, putting the crumble on top. Again, these recipes are simple, but they are nutritious, they are delicious, and they are easy enough to get your grandkids or your kids involved. All right, finally, where can people get this book already? Because I think it's a good holiday gift. I know. It's a great holiday gift because no one's going to be offended because it's like this cookbook fitness wellness book um on amazon active grandparenting it'll pop up or at my website active grandparenting.com all right well keep us active for all generations you are such a pleasure and thank you for turning our kitchen into thanksgiving i feel like we're celebrating early thanks to you in a healthy way yeah i've learned a lot all right kristen you did it again girl you We're going to be right back with our Burst of Joy featuring Cardi B. For today's Burst of Joy, Cardi B just brought big energy to NPR's Tiny Desk with a viral performance. Here's a look at the moment that happened right here in D.C. Songs including Up, Bodak Yellow, and Like It Like That. And get this, besides getting the party started, she also showed love to her fans, hugging a few audience members as well. Now, throughout the morning, on another front, I've been asking you, M-Squad, is there something in a potential partner's home that would turn you off? And you all have sounded off. We've got so many comments. We've got to go back to the drawing board again to see what you all are saying. And here's how you're responding. CeCe, thanks for writing out of Hyattsville. He invited me over to hang out. I watched him clip his toenails, put them on his coffee table to chill, and then let his dogs lift them up. I am done. I don't need to read the rest. You made the right decision. And we'll be right back with a preview of tomorrow's show. Thanks, CeCe. Hope you all enjoyed the show. As much as we have, you spark conversations even with all of us here off air talking about those crazy dating days and red flags. So thank you for chiming in. We appreciate it always. You are the M-Note. It's also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are aware of that. So tomorrow we're going to highlight it with survivor stories and strength and potentially life-saving resources. First, the ex-wife of the D.C. sniper, Dr. Mildred Muhammad. She's going to join me live in studio.