The Making An Effort Podcast with Gabby and Mel

A podcast about all the things we make an effort with, and some of the things we don’t.

Episode 178: King & Queen of Glasto 07/07/2025

Episode 178: King & Queen of Glasto Summer is in full swing so we're talking about all things music festivals, reading - with a brief segue about the 7/7 bombings in London. Light and shade, here for it all! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/37304255

Episode 177: Summer Camp 06/30/2025

Episode 177: Summer Camp Ahh this is a nostalgic episode for us. We get into a bit of a chat about our experiences of working at Summer Camp and the ridiculousness of teenagers being in charge of kids for a whole summer! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/37217995

Episode 176: The Brown Valve 06/23/2025

Episode 176: The Brown Valve We are BACK! Thanks for letting us take a hiatus at the start of the summer but we're back for a mammoth catch up including all the holiday chat, stories, tales from our travels and all the best bits in between! It's SO good to be with you again! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/37113750

Episode 175: Explosive Beef 05/26/2025

Episode 175: Explosive Beef Discussing the enormous effort of family holidays, a listener who has BEEF with Gabby and a little discussion of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Season 2 - no spoilers though). Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast - BEHIND A PAYWALL! Imagine! If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36711595

Episode 174: Mom So Hard 05/19/2025

Episode 174: Mom So Hard Just stories from the trenches this week. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast - BEHIND A PAYWALL! Imagine! If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36623785

Episode 173: Tops Off, Shaved Legs 05/12/2025

Episode 173: Tops Off, Shaved Legs Listeners dreams, Motherland, Embarrassing stories on Tik Tok (with a lot of gasping laughing), kitchen utensils, Chat GPT interiors. That's all on the docket for this weeks ep. Enjoy! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast - BEHIND A PAYWALL! Imagine! If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36529825

Episode 172: To Paywall or Not To Paywall? 05/05/2025

Episode 172: To Paywall or Not To Paywall? This week Gabs brings Mel up to speed on a current substack scandal where a high profile celeb got low-key bullied off the platform. We discuss the ethics around celebrities monetising their audience, policing peoples presence. It's niche. It's a little granular and we have unformed opinions. When do we paywall? Why do women get scrutinised for this stuff so much more? Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast - BEHIND A PAYWALL! Imagine! If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36436195

Episode 171: Do You Remember Psalty? 04/28/2025

Episode 171: Do You Remember Psalty? Back at it with an episode for you that features our impersonation of the Australian twins, the cold hard facts about clothing consumption, a health and fitness update from us both and a little trip down memory lane about our favourite nostalgic, probably problematic childhood evangelical music. Enjoy! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36336120

Episode 170: Martin Freeman is Everywhere 04/21/2025

Episode 170: Martin Freeman is Everywhere We're back! After gloating about how we haven't missed a week - we missed a week. Life happens. We catch up on Mel's trip to London, a celeb encounter, our high school style and we set a MAE listener challenge to give more compliments to strangers. Let us know if you do it! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36242135

Episode 169: MAE Staff Meeting 04/07/2025

Episode 169: MAE Staff Meeting We have an impromptu staff meeting, discussing our effort with this podcast. Gabby has 14 less hours in her week and Mel rolled her ankle. We discuss the etiquette and THRILL of second hand shopping. We chat about a listener email asking about the vulnerability of putting your work out there to the world, but especially letting your loved ones see/read/listen. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/36033425

Episode 168: Gabby Hates Standup 03/31/2025

Episode 168: Gabby Hates Standup This week we cover plenty of ground. A new TV watch that has had Mel in stitches, Gabby's neighbourly updates, tupperware thieves., a story about a tampon that really is NSFW and should come with a trigger warning. Yeesh. Kind of regretting that one. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35932395

Episode 167: Death And All Her Friends 03/24/2025

Episode 167: Death And All Her Friends A little death chat is on the table today. In the most lovely and comforting way - if that's possible? We also give a moment to recognise the husband efforts of Dave while Mel has been sick and celebrate Gabby getting her garden sorted for Spring! Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35834120

Episode 166: Good Neighbours 03/17/2025

Episode 166: Good Neighbours How do you make friends with your neighbours? Would you be honest about the level of admin it takes to be hot on a red carpet if you got famous? What happens if you love a book and then find out everyone is slating it? All on the table in this weeks ep. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35721445

Episode 165: America Is Cheeks 03/10/2025

Episode 165: America Is Cheeks This week we are discussing the new Netflix spesh that Megan Markle Sussex has put out. There are things to say. We also talk about anger, sadness and the best outlets for that and I offer up a new word that the teenagers are saying that maybe we can try to roll into conversation for cool points... Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35604075

Episode 164: The FIBI Of It All 03/03/2025

Episode 164: The FIBI Of It All We've got garage sale and parenting woes, new shows we're watching, holiday plans and a praise report from Gabby about her new trad wife skills. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35509185

Episode 163: Mel Is A Good Girl 02/24/2025

Episode 163: Mel Is A Good Girl Our weekly catch up this week includes a good old whinge about our bodies not playing ball, Gabby's time away, the rising prices of food (and the husbands that are loud about it) and a new entrepreneurial opportunity for the Wiggins'. Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35404020

Episode 162: Don't Judge A Spice By It's Cover 02/17/2025

Episode 162: Don't Judge A Spice By It's Cover We are running the gamut this week while we catch up. We've got new Iris stories, sassy tweens, shin splints, heartburn and a longer chat about the resurgence of romance novels, spicy book covers and how do we know what is age-appropriate? Good chat all around. LINKS MENTIONED: Don't forget! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35310710

Episode 161: Rotisserie Pizza 02/10/2025

Episode 161: Rotisserie Pizza We've got an on-the-mend Gabs back today and we're discussing low effort recovery from flu, bad sleep, tv shows, school lunches and excruciating evangelising stories from days gone by. Phew. That one took it out of us. The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35220035

Episode 160: It's Called The Health Suite w/ Guest Host - Dave Wiggins 02/03/2025

Episode 160: It's Called The Health Suite w/ Guest Host - Dave Wiggins Poor Gabs is sick this week so instead of leaving you hanging, we called on Mel's husband Dave to stand in as co-host. Mostly it's an episode where a married couple bicker in real time with a few Iris stories and some book recommendations thrown in for good measure. Big thanks to Dave for filling the void (that's what she said) Enjoy! The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, we'd love you to consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35125020

Episode 159: A Dramatic Weekend 01/27/2025

Episode 159: A Dramatic Weekend This week Gabs has reentered that tourbus life (and knows a surprising amount about tour buses), Mel hunkered down in the storm and we get to gently make fun of Gabby's emotional patreon video where she unnecessarily scared our patreons. The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, please consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/35030255

Episode 158: This Is Not A Tampon Ad, Said the Mole 01/20/2025

Episode 158: This Is Not A Tampon Ad, Said the Mole In today's episode we discuss how far, is too far when it comes to going commando? The Making An Effort Podcast is a listener supported podcast. If you want access to bonus episodes, community chat, and provide input, please consider supporting us at /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34922440

Episode 157: Upping Our Tea Game 01/13/2025

Episode 157: Upping Our Tea Game Key words for this latest epsiode: mugs, notion, crying, listeners, drinking, news, presidents, snow, jess, nick, martinis, tea ENJOY! Don't forget, you can get all our gift guides, videos etc on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34835335

Episode 156: 11am Wake Up Call 01/06/2025

Episode 156: 11am Wake Up Call We're back and have returned with so many bad habits - which we will share about in this ep. We're discussing holiday routines, Richard Curtis movies, Tiktok shop purchases and if we're the only ones not lotioning. Are we? Don't forget, you can get all our gift guides, videos etc on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34737150

Episode 155: No Spoilers 12/23/2024

Episode 155: No Spoilers It's our last episode of the year! There's a lot of Mel trying to make Gabby stop telling her about the plotline of 'That Christmas', a love-fest about Richard Curtis movies, the translation of Irish/Northern Irish cult movies and TV shows and how we can't stop eating Merry Christmas to you, dear listeners! Feliz Navidad to you and yours! Don't forget, you can get all our gift guides, videos etc on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34578415

Episode 154: The Art of Conversation 12/16/2024

Episode 154: The Art of Conversation Another NSFW epsiode thanks to a story Gabby tells that involves pee in the mouth. Ew. We're here talking about parties, gel nails and drugs this week. Don't forget, we listen and we don't judge. We're also fizzing about plans for our MAE Girls Trip - to say in the loop and get early bird discounts, sign up here Don't forget, you can get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34468040

Episode 153: Hallmark, Hazards & Heat 12/09/2024

Episode 153: Hallmark, Hazards & Heat We have stepped into Christmas and we are revelling. This week we talk about festive outings, movies, USA/UK period survival tactics, Gabby living on the edge of a house fire and there's even a wee story of our Iris in there for good measure. We also want to invite you to take this survey if you fancy getting away for a girls trip with us next year! Can you imagine?! Don't forget, you can get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34343780

Episode 152: Tailored Sweatpants 12/02/2024

Episode 152: Tailored Sweatpants This week we talk aura rings, the ultimate trouser - a tailored sweatpant, substack favourites and how we would be each others safety net for making sure no one reads our journals after we die. Niche friendship requirement, but a must. Substack we mentioned below: Don't forget, you can get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34232710

Episode 151: Free Refills 11/25/2024

Episode 151: Free Refills Join us this week as we discuss the rise of Gracie Abrams, how the USA does beverages right, how we are sprinkling Christmas in and some lovely emails from listeners. Don't forget, you can get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/34133536

Episode 150: From The Trenches 11/18/2024

Episode 150: From The Trenches This week we are coming in tired and a lil sick. There's chat about FRIENDS quizzes, finishing or not finishing books, what's coming up on our fyp/discover pages (Paul Mescal, duh) and again, the delight about our patreon-only Gift Guide! There's also a late episode Iris story in there for good measure. To get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon you can do that for just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our extensive back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/33969747

Episode 149: Phone Book Sleuth 11/11/2024

Episode 149: Phone Book Sleuth Step back in time with us this week as we discuss the nostalgia of the humble home phone, cleaning your room as a weekend activity and Mel's first foray into being a sleuth - the phone book. ALSO - we want to invite you to come get our Christmas Gift Guide extravaganza on Patreon! You can do that just £$5/£4 a month AND you'll get access to our back catalogue of bonus podcast episodes where we share all our favourite things we're buying, eating, reading and watching! Check it out here: Also, please feel free to get in touch with us about any life or food dilemmas, issues or questions you have and we will offer our best advice & thoughts in future episodes. Reach us on /episode/index/show/makinganeffort/id/33877017

The Making An Effort Podcast with Gabby and Mel

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