Meridith Baxter is here today. She is my cousin, but she is more like my sister. We have a super fun podcast planned for you entitled Over My Bread Body. Spring is here, and summer is around the corner. All of the stores are moving out the sweatshirts and bringing in the swimsuits. Today, we talk about getting ready for summer and more.

We talk about all of the things that we have tried to get ourselves beach body ready including eight of us in swim skirts doing water aerobics or what we called “swim gym”. We also talk about having confidence with yourself and your body. We stress the importance of not judging others or yourself. It’s important to be kind to others and be an example to those ladies who are younger than us by being who we needed to be for our younger selves.

Show Notes

• [04:34] Meridith shares a story about how they attempted water aerobics to become summer ready. It was eight women in their family, and they were all about the same size and they spent three weeks making it their “swim gym”. They also had snacks and drinks.
• [06:21] Melissa decided to kick it up a notch with boogie boards and pool noodles.
• [07:10] They had a great time, but they didn't really lose any weight.
• [08:08] When they were kids after doctor's appointments they would go to Dairy Queen. Comfort food is popular in their family.
• [11:25] What Meridith dreads the most about summer. The sun in general.
• [12:15] Melissa doesn't mind the pool, but she doesn't like sleeveless tops.
• [14:23] Meridith wore her wedding dress to please herself and her husband, she wasn't self-conscious in any way.
• [14:51] We've tried every trick in Dr. Oz's book of helpful suggestions for losing weight. We've tried everything from Weight Watchers to putting money in a pot and whoever loses the most weight wins the money.
• [15:25] Then instead of gift giving for Christmas we decided to do a cookie exchange.
• [16:24] Melissa did a 3 day juice cleanse and probably spent $32,000.
• [17:32] When one of us loses a substantial amount of weight it makes the rest of us mad, so we sabotage each other.
• [20:36] During cheerleader tryouts, Meridith had to wear a different shirt than everyone else because the normal shirt wasn't in her size.
• [21:26] Meridith's brother married a woman named Kylie who used to only wear bikinis. She wore this one broached bikini out to the pool, and we tried to get out but our swim dresses were so heavy we were stuck in the pool.
• [22:50] They invited some people from church over for Thanksgiving and they said, "wow, you all can put bacon in anything and make it work."
• [23:56] Meridith's husband Jake made her a 30 minute workout.
• [24:43] Melissa is blind with confidence. We have so much fun at the beach or the pool, we don't obsess about it.
• [25:37] Everybody's in the same boat. Even people who are skinny have body issues. The whole reason for going to the beach or the pool is to enjoy yourself.
• [26:19] Melissa is confident that neither of the skinny beautiful women who she went to Maui with are as funny as her. They were also women who built other women up.
• [27:13] Don't go out of your way to spend time with someone who tears someone else down.
• [28:33] The effect of who you surround yourself with and how it affects your outlook and how you see yourself.
• [29:20] The power of evaluating yourself and not being hard on other women and not being hard on yourself.
• [30:03] Be the person that your younger self needed.
• [30:35] Treat a younger woman like you know she needs to be treated. Think back about how you felt at that time in your life.
• [31:36] We're all just women trying to figure things out, and we need other positive people around us.
• [36:21] Meridith uses 100 SPF and covers herself with large hats.
• [40:45] Lightning round where we find out some cool things about Meridith.
• [43:47] Perfection doesn't make us happy. Knowing who we are and what we are that's the goal.
• [45:26] Miracles are all around us, we just get so used to seeing them that we call them ordinary things.

Today, we gave some awesome tips for getting beach body ready. If you would like to hear more of our best ideas take a screenshot of your phone while listening to today's podcast, and share it on social media like Instagram or Facebook and tag me in it with #OrdinaryPeopleOrdinaryThings, and I will send you a rundown of our favorite summer tips, favorite summer drinks, favorite summer swimsuits, and if you're nice my chicken strip recipe.

Thanks for joining us on Ordinary People Ordinary Things. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Just like your mother taught you.

Links and Resources:

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• This Sucks But God Is Good (online course) 20% Discount Code: Ordinary
• Eat Cake. Be Brave.
• The Bachelor
• Dr. Oz