Marriage Is Funny

Is traveling separately (with friends) always worth the trip? The Peppers continue their Summer Travel Series by diving into the topic of vacationing apart, but neither person seems to know how to balance out their adventures. They both feel a little guilty for exploring new places without the other, and Gerard finally makes a decision to go on the big boat trip he’s been hoping for.

In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...

• A longtime friend and listener of the show (Hi, Santos!) mentions to Gerard that he’s got a Guys Trip in the works. Brainstorming ensues and Mardi Gras beads are officially thrown out the window.

• Jessie immediately gets FOMO and the couple decides that the trick to prevent this is to choose a city that the other partner is not interested in visiting.

• Gerard went to Las Vegas for March Madness earlier this year and The Peppers realize that this definitely counts as an official Guy's Trip... Especially because it helped G meet his yearly quota for basketball watching AND meat eating in just a couple of days. 

• Jessie’s past speaking schedule has allowed her to experience a handful of accidental Girl’s Trips and she's always up for the chance to combine fun with an extra dose of productivity.

• The Peppers try to uncover truth: Do parents need separate travel time more than non-parents? The verdict is still out but this kidless couple already has a few upcoming adventures on the books.

• Gerard admits that he needs guy time to keep their marriage healthy. The Peppers agree that pursuing outside friendships is a good way to disperse the burden of our individual friendship needs.

• Talking about cost and stressing about money might actually take away from the benefits of travel. The last time Jessie went on a girls trip was around the same time that our budgeting episode went live, and the timing of these two things actually makes a lot of sense based on our goals.

• The Peppers realize that financial planning can actually provide more freedom than financial restrictions. (This is basically exactly what Jessie was trying to implement in Episode 57.)

• Jessie is going on a Women’s Retreat with Morgan in the Fall and she thinks that Gerard should go on the Sailing Trip with Zac.

1. Who are the top three people you’d bring on a friends trip if your partner was going to stay at home?

2. Do you get to spend enough time with friends when your partner isn't around?

3. Have you ever felt jealous of your spouse because of a time that they’ve gotten to travel with their friends? Or guilt if you’re the one who is getting to experience it?

The Peppers are taking a 10-year anniversary trip in September and are finding that the road to planning everything out is a little rockier than they expected. Tune in as they navigate the nitty gritty of nailing down a perfect itinerary and please send recommendations if you have any can’t-miss spots that you think we’d love!

In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...

• We’ve been married for almost 10 years and haven’t really planned a trip for just the two of us yet! (Unless you count the Great Love Getaways with our listeners or the cross country tour in 2015?)

• We’re experiencing the speculation that The Keels talked about in Episode 8: sometimes both partners define a trip differently from a vacation.

• Gerard almost gave Jessie a heart attack while his finger hovered over the purchase button of some spendy European flights... At this point, we’re both thankful for his deep love of airline points which you may remember from back in Episode 36.

• The Peppers are flying in and out of Switzerland from the U.S. and then will explore the countries of Spain, Portugal + Morocco from there. (One of the two finally concedes that an upgrade is necessary when you’re married to someone with absurdly long legs.)

• Jessie and Gerard have differing approaches to budgeting for their big trip, but setting an initial number provides a helpful launching pad for the cost break down.

• Gerard is the money guy in this family, but you’ll hear our budgeting deficit start to re-emerge from back in Episode 22. Hear him start to squirm when Jessie presses for exact numbers, while she also simultaneously admits to her unavoidable cheapskater-y.

• The Peppers nab some travel books for each of the different locations that they’re going to visit, but want to make sure that they cross-reference with personal recommendations in order to avoid the tourist traps. 

• Jessie confesses that she hates museums and Gerard professes a preference for monuments. The two agree that a fat tire bike tour is the best way to see a new city, and they had a fabulous experience when they tried it in Paris.

• The Peppers walk through their individual “best day” scenario for their upcoming trip... Thankfully, both have pretty similar expectations and the results will probably depend on access to a swanky SPG hotel gym OR a nice Airbnb kitchen.
   

1. What’s your favorite travel splurge when it comes to a long trip?

2. Which partner in your relationship typically takes the reins on planning for vacation?

3. What was the most disappointing travel experience that you've ever had with your spouse?

The Peppers take a brief detour from the Summer Travel Series to address a bit of feedback that came in the form of a nasty iTunes review. It's always interesting to hear your thoughts about each show, but we are so thankful for our listeners who understand that we're still figuring this whole thing out just like everybody else! 

Grab the show notes for this episode at meetthepeppers.com and find out how to join us in the mission of inspiring Great Love over on the SUPPORT page of our site. 

Two months apart has taken a serious toll on the Pepper’s connection, so they do what ALL married millennials do: they talk about it on their podcast! The Peppers have discussed the topic of work travel in the past, but this latest experience has easily been the hardest one so far. Jessie makes massive changes to the house policies while Gerard is away, and this results in the need to ban an entire phrase from her vocabulary.

In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...
 

• Jessie admits that her life (while pretending to be a savvy-single woman) is vastly different from her life when Gerard is still in town.

• Can Lifestyle Design be considered a healthy coping mechanism? You be the judge.

• The Peppers discuss how the latest binge-worthy TV show is a mini-series called Big Little Lies. (Pretty ironic that Jessie *almost* catches Gerard in one while they’re talking about it.) In case you decide to check it out for yourself, please be warned that there ARE gratuitous sex scenes (and some violence) up ahead.

• Jessie fesses up to her treat-yourself splurges: expensive workout classes, fancier-than-normal groceries, and spoiling Sadie with new puppy toys. There could be far worse vices, but her revengeful attitude is a little unnerving.

• Gerard acknowledges that their “cushion” has worn extremely thin... Probably more accurate to say that the cushion has been blown to smithereens, and they are currently trying to rebuild the house that once surrounded the cushion. As you might expect, abandonment issues abound.

• Tune in to the following past episodes for more about navigating work + travel as a couple: how to love your partner through a rewards point addiction, keeping yourself entertained while one spouse is away, and what to do if you feel like a work-widow.

• Part of the challenge from the duo’s time apart was caused by the stress of Jessie’s recent Kickstarter campaign -- A business project that no entrepreneur should have to go alone!

• Gerard (accidentally) blurts out that his least favorite part about the travel was when he actually had to come back home to the tension each week. Everyone makes a note that insulting your wife is not the best way to woo her into quality time.

• Jessie explains how her routine is different while Gerard is gone, and the two begin to hunt for a solution to running the house in a more streamlined way at all times. Basically, Gerard needs to do a better job of keeping up with the chores and Jessie needs to offer up WAY more grace than she has in the past.

• There are STILL dishes in the sink as these show notes are being recorded. Not much has changed since we talked about this in Ep 44: Wine Glasses Are Not Meant To Be Washed By Hand.

• Gerard explains the unfairness of Jessie changing the policy while he was away and he begs her to ditch the exclamatory approach.

• The Peppers have big plans to repair their relationship by filling the Summer with joy and adventure together... This is the perfect pursuit as they launch into The MIF Summer Travel Series!

1. What is your favorite way to indulge while your partner is out of town?
    
2. When has been the hardest time period in your entire marriage? What has allowed you to heal from that experience?
    
3. What is one phrase that you wish you could BAN from your partner’s entire vocabulary?

Jessie + Gerard return from a long podcasting break, and this show is a recap of what the last several months have been like for The Peppers. Tune in as we kick-off the upcoming special travel series, and don't forget to share your Summer moments by using #marriageisfunnyontheroad on your favorite social media platforms! 

In the meantime, come hang out with us on twitter or instagram and see below for this week's handy show notes...

• The Highs + Lows game can be traumatizing to anyone who experienced it as a tween, so The Peppers play their own version and want YOUR help in giving it a new name. (Thanks to inspiration from the hosts of The Popcast Podcast and That’s So Retrograde!)

• Jessie launched a new business while we were away! Check out her ethically-made multi-functional dress design called Season, and watch the short film to get the full story behind the brand.

• Gerard just finished a two-month stint of commuting back and forth to the East Coast each week, and we agree that it was one of the hardest periods of our entire 10 years of marriage. Jessie accuses him of flirting with the flight attendants to get better seat upgrades, and he interestingly does not deny this point. 

• The chance to travel around and speak on stage together is always such a highlight! February took us back to Kansas City for a big event, and we’re excited to add new dates to our calendar for appearances during the rest of 2017.

• Gerard starts wearing a helmet while riding his bike to work, and Jessie calms down because they finally figured out how to get their armoire through the bedroom window.

• Jessie gets excited about Gerard performing with a legit (local) rock and roll band, and we love it when our listeners come to the gigs!

• The Peppers give you the dish on the neighborhood black sheep: Unit #3. Jessie’s warmth drives away the unfriendly tenants and then she accidentally enables the ones who do drugs right outside their bedroom window.

• Sleeping arrangements have shifted yet again... After splitting up for their snooze-time (hear more about that in Ep 36), Jessie has snuck back into the master bedroom by disguising herself as a sea creature.  

1. What has your partner done in the last 6 months that made you very proud
2. Have you stopped nagging your spouse about anything lately? Is there anything you WISH you could stop nagging them about?
3. Who is your favorite neighbor and why do you love them so much?

Just dropping in to give a quick update and let you know about Jessie's new project which is launching next week. Thanks for hanging with us during this extended break!

This week’s show is brought to you by our sponsor Aaptiv FItness!

In our finale episode of Season 3, Jessie + Gerard talk about feeling grateful for Great Love. They include a lightning round of thanks just in time for Thanksgiving, and even share some thoughts from a few of our favorite gangsters.

• Download Aaptiv and get a free month of fitness on-the-go by using our special code: “marriageisfunny” when you sign-up for a subscription!

• Snag a Great Love Gangster shirt as a gift for yourself, and don't forget that our letterpress prints make fantastic holiday gifts!

• Gerard takes a page from his father-in-law and gets on the family Trigger Question train.

• Jessie shares an epic safari story about a baby water buffalo in danger, and how the herd reacts to save one of it’s young. You can read her original blog post and watch the entire video here.

• The Peppers share 20 reasons why they’re thankful for each other, including pet-parenting, super-clean tile grout, and dancing around the kitchen with your pants off.

• Listen in to hear a few members of the Gang as they share their own reasons to feel grateful for their partners.

• Pass this episode along as a way to say thanks to the people who’ve inspired Great Love in your own marriage!

1. If you had to fill your entire thanksgiving plate with only ONE dish and ONE condiment, what would it be?

2. What was the last thing that you thanked someone for?

3. Who are three of the water buffaloes that you could not have survived without?

This week’s show is brought to you by our sponsor Aaptiv FItness!

This week, The Peppers chat about weird turkey traditions and upcoming holiday travel. Gerard is looking forward to “digging in” with his Arizona in-laws, and Jessie stresses out about impressing her family with something more exciting than green beans. The duo gushes about their hot sauce obsession and quickly realizes that not everyone you meet can take the same amount of heat.

• Download Aaptiv and get a free month of fitness on-the-go by using our special code: “marriageisfunny” when you sign-up for a subscription!

• Gerard challenges The Gang to a facebook giveaway! Share the Marriage is Funny page with your online friends, and email a screen-grab to yesmarriageisfunny@gmail.com. The first three to land the message in our inbox will win one of our Great Love letterpress prints!

• Don’t forget to snag your Great Love Gangster merch, and use this as a way to represent the Marriage is Funny crew!

• Apparently, holiday turkey can be turned into a delicacy when it’s cooked in a dirt hole, you can probably guess which one of us is more disgusted at the thought of such a barbaric act.

• The Peppers stake their claim of a true Friendsgiving, and then tell the story of how their own tradition came to be.

• Jessie is giving up control of the dinner this year, and she’ll be celebrating with a large pile of kale at her parents house in Arizona next week.

• If you happen to be a baking expert, please send all crust-advice to Gerard for his inaugural cherry-popping pie-baking adventure.

• The Peppers share about how they decide to spend certain holidays with certain family members, and while they’ve always tried to keep it simple, explaining things here gets a leeeeetle complicated.

• Jessie redirects her emotions by trying to make others happy when she feels sad around the holidays. Piling her plate high with vegetables also happens to help.

• The Peppers chat about giving homemade hot sauce to their friends and neighbors for Christmas this year, and you can find the recipe for Jessie’s spicy sauce right here. (FYI, it’s a 3.5 - 3.75 on the spiciness heat index, and five is obviously medium.)

• Visit our favorite salsa spot in Kansas City and send us a few bottles of your favorite!

• Anyone one can own blistered shishito peppers at home, but make sure to nibble the ends to be sure you don’t get hit with a spice bomb.

• Gerard’s favorite youtube show is called Hot Ones, and you can watch his favorite recent episode with DJ Khaled right here.

• Jessie spills the beans about yet another spin-off show for The Peppers... Spoiler Alert: It is NOT going to be called The Terrific Husband.

1. Who is your favorite person to sit by at holiday family dinners?

2. What was the best handmade Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

3. If you had to pick ONLY one brand or flavor of hot sauce to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This week’s show is brought to you by our sponsor Aaptiv FItness!

In Episode 52, The Peppers discuss their feelings about plants + guests of the in-house-variety. Gerard almost kills Jessie with a bouquet of birthday flowers, and the duo chats through the pros and cons of surprising each other with social activities.

• Download Aaptiv and get a free month of fitness on-the-go by using our special code: “marriageisfunny” at sign-up!

• Don’t forget to snag your Great Love Gangster merch, and use this as a way to represent the Marriage is Funny crew!

• Gerard accidentally sends Jessie a bouquet of her least favorite flowers, and the migraines come back with a vengeance.

• Jessie begins to neglect the outdoor garden at Casa de Pepper, so Gerard has to step in and nurse the dying plants back to health.

• We argue over whose turn it is to weed the garden, and assure you that this is one of the times that phrase is not used as a euphemism.

• Jessie admits to being surprised by Gerard for the very first time, ever. He flew in two of her very best friends for her birthday last week, and she can’t believe that his late-night cleaning sessions didn’t give it all away.

• The Peppers begin to touch on their Meyers-Briggs personalities when it comes to Judging and Perceiving… Take the online quiz and get ready for a full M-B episode during our upcoming Season Four!

• Jessie has a habit of sneaking alone time during our annual Epiphany Parties. And when she wants people to leave? She turns on this song and rejoins the party after a quick outfit change.

1. Has your partner ever given you a gift that you didn't/couldn't enjoy?

2. If you could spend a weekend of quality time with any two friends in the world, who would they be?

3. Have you ever figured out a surprise from someone before they had a chance to give it to you?

This week, Gerard fesses up to a bad habit that we thought he had kicked, only to find out that Jessie has known about it the entire time. The Peppers are peeling back the curtain on how their podcast is recorded, and you’ll hear about how painful this particular episode has been to produce.

• Gerard realizes that the cell-phone addiction that he talked about in Episode 9 has reappeared in the form of checking the news about this year's presidential election.  

• Jessie uses the example of a bad habit we discussed in Episode 30 to illustrate her effective, yet gentle strategy to stop annoying behaviors.

• Gerard wishes that Jessie would stop painting her nails right before they leave the house, but they agree that it’s WAY better than painting them in the car, and they learned that lesson the hard way in Episode 15.  

• We’ve talked about podcasting before ( in Episode 4 + Episode 17 ), but we’re giving an even closer inside look at why and how we bother to produce this show for you every week.

• Jessie shares her full-time podcasting dreams in Episode 35, and Gerard blurts out his big-time fitness goals to make her feel better.

• The Peppers are wrapping up Season Three on Thanksgiving Week, and we’re excited to launch our new show The Perfect Wife at the same time!

1.  How many times a day do you check the latest news headlines?

2.  Do you have a go-to trick for pulling your partner out of a bad mood?

3.  What's the crappiest Valentine's Day gift you've ever received?