After we’ve both had wholesome Easter bank holiday weekends, of course we’re back with chaos! And this week we’re talking about how real self care is not sexy, content-worthy or “aesthetic” like the wellness and self-care we’re sold online. Instead self-care is boring, it’s effective, it’s preventative. But the online aesthetic over-complicates it and creates the pressure to do it “right”, rather than doing it genuinely for you. The self-care we’re sold online is very privileged and assumes that journalling, meditation, skin care and morning routines are a one-size fits all, without taking into account the unique needs of everyone.

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Recommendations

Franks RedHot Fire Roasted Jalapeno Sauce

A Case for Stagnant Summers

Also mentioned:

https://sabrinamolu.substack.com/

Back to the Future

Nosferatu

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Helli is back from a Bahamas cruise and Charlotte has booked a trip to Antibes so it’s safe to say we’re both ready for summer! But before then, we’re chatting about how to embrace cringe. You need to embrace cringe and be seen trying (and possibly failing) to reach success and the things you want, but so often the fear of failing or looking stupid or feeling embarrassed is a barrier that stops us persisting and going after what we really want.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

Last One Laughing on Amazon Prime

Toxic Town on Netflix

Also mentioned:

Adolescence on Netflix

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

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This week we’re taking about the seemingly insignficant moments that end up being key in your life’s trajectory and what could have happened if things were ever so slightly different. We’re both utterly obsessed with the idea of “sliding doors” moments (no, not that dodgy Gwenyth film from the 00’s) and how things could have been, or maybe never would have been, different if things had panned out in slightly different ways.

For more content, including bonus episodes, become a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

The Lego App

Michelle Andrews on The Inherited Podcast (spoiler, I’ve since listed to the Vicky Andrews ep too and it’s wonderful)

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Seriously, asking for a friend, because we constantly tell each other to “trust the process” but when you’re going through that process it can be frustrating, infuriating, anxiety-inducing and just generally not all that enjoyable. Yes, that’s where e grow. Yes, it’s good to be uncomfortable sometimes. And OF COURSE we know we can’t just expect success and everything we want overnight, but that isn’t to say it isn’t sometimes kinda lonely. We’re sharing how we navigate these in-between phases, the reminders that keep us sane and how you can be a bit gentler on yourself when you’re in limbo.

If you liked the sound of the bonus episode reacting to this episode of A Bit Fruity and all of our thoughts on Gwen Stefani’s transformation/return then you can sign up to be a paid member of our substack right here.

Recommendations

Piglet by Lottie Hazell

What Is Analog Wellness by The Good Trade:

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Most of us complain about getting older but between the two of us, we so often talk about how ageing is the ultimate privilege. That’s not to say ageing is easy and it certainly comes with its challenges, but ageing is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience and we live in a society, particularly as women, where we’re sold anti-wrinkle creams, wellness is commercialised and we praise people who look younger than their years. So why are we all striving for longevity, but we’re all still running away from what ageing actually looks like?

Did someone say Substack?

Click here to subscribe to our ✨brand new✨ Substack (we’ve got a free and a paid version so everyone can join!). Come for newsletters, rec wraps, more thoughts on the big topics, bonus podcast content and an insight into our (somewhat chaotic) conversations.

Recommendations

The Lies We Told by Camilla Way

Break Point on Netflix

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Oh we’re getting deep into it this week discussing success, is there such a thing as *too much* success and is it greedy to ask for more when you already have so much? We live in an always-on society where striving for more seems to be the default. Where we always want to seek more the next big thing, but in doing so, are we being a bit greedy? Should we just be happy with what we have?

Did someone say Substack?

Click here to subscribe to our ✨brand new✨ Substack (we’ve got a free and a paid version so everyone can join!). Come for newsletters, rec wraps, more thoughts on the big topics, bonus podcast content and an insight into our (somewhat chaotic) conversations.

Recommendations

The Heart of Dad Culture on the Culture Society Podcast

Low Energy Habits That Changed My Mental Health by Milk and Cookies

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Charlotte has a new heated blanket and is getting ready to go to Stockholm, Helli is in the depths of house hunting and apologies for her muffled audio, her mic plug broke right before recording… We’ve got a juicy chat at the start of the episode about the dangers of what you share about your life online and how trends are mimicking history and the problems with idolising a part of history that you weren’t part of.

And of course we recognise the irony of our topic this week… but as two humanities students who love to analyse (and over-analyse!), however have we as a society gone too far with trying to find a deeper meaning in everything? Social media has made it easy to over-intellectualise everything from politics to pop culture and while the skills of analysis and being able to vocalise our opinions are important, maybe “being deep” has become performative because of that. Things are allowed to be fun, silly and entertaining, there is value in lightheartedness and maybe we just don’t need to have an opinion on absolutely everything.

Let us know your thoughts on this topic – we’d love to chat more about it (head over to our Substack to join the chat!)

Did someone say Substack?

Click here to subscribe to our ✨brand new✨ Substack (we’ve got a free and a paid version so everyone can join!). Come for newsletters, rec wraps, more thoughts on the big topics, bonus podcast content and an insight into our (somewhat chaotic) conversations.

Recommendations

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd

How Conservatism Inflitrated Pop Culture podcast episode on A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

Also mentioned

Heated blanket from Costco

The Club by Ellery Lloyd

The Crunchy to Far Right Pipeline on A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

Louis Theroux podcast episode with Armie Hammer

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Helli’s been ill for the third time this year (thanks, 2025) and Charlotte has thrown her back out, BUT we’re here! This week we’re wondering, why are we obsessed with labelling people are role models and policing how people behave because we think they’re a role model? Really, anyone can be a role model online these days, so is being a role model even an accolade anymore? Or are we holding people to an impossible standard?

Did someone say Substack?

Click here to subscribe to our ✨brand new✨ Substack (we’ve got a free and a paid version so everyone can join!). Come for newsletters, rec wraps, more thoughts on the big topics, bonus podcast content and an insight into our (somewhat chaotic) conversations.

Recommendations

White Lotus Season 3 is back

American Manhunt: OJ Simpson on Netflix

This Womens Health piece on female friendships

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No. Stones. Left unturned. In this episode we have not one, but two honeymoon recaps, a first glance at the reading lists we managed to get through on said honeymoons, a must-read Substack (that isn’t our own) and a documentary we can’t stop thinking about. And then we’re asking the big question of WHY are the bad things so noisy while the good things happen so quietly? Is it actually a bad thing that we give more air time to the bad? Or is there already enough negativity out there? 

Did someone say Substack?

Click here to subscribe to our ✨brand new✨ Substack (we’ve got a free and a paid version so everyone can join!). Come for newsletters, rec wraps, more thoughts on the big topics, bonus podcast content and an insight into our (somewhat chaotic) conversations.

Recommendations

The Balkans: Europe’s Forgotten Frontier with Katya Adler on BBC iPlayer

The Knowing by Emma Hinds

Who’s Afraid Of Sabrina Carpenter? on Substack

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