This week Bev and Marina's topic of choice is the environment. Perhaps a departure from the usual 'flavour' of As Good As It Gets, but certainly worthy of a conversation, the environment and the idea of 'saving the planet' is something that can cause real fear and anxiety, not just in us but in our children too. Many of us may feel a sense of disempowerment, assuming that the problem is just too severe for any one of us to make any impactful difference. So how can we turn this around? We...

Why do we find it so hard to say no? And why do we end up saying yes to so many things that we don’t REALLY want to do?! In this week’s episode, Bev and Marina discuss the lost art of saying no.  Whilst Bev is great at saying no to the school Christmas raffle, she’s not quite so successful when it comes to saying no to her 14th glass of wine at a dinner party! Marina, however, is much more ruthless when it comes to saying no to things and reveals that it’s actually her husband who says yes...

There's a big difference between being the victim of life's difficult events, and living a life in which you always see yourself as the victim. In this episode, Bev and Marina consider how to make sure the first doesn't shape you into becoming the latter. Is it easier, as we get older, to stop blaming others when life goes wrong? Or are we so tired and worn down that we shrug off taking responsibility? And what are the difficulties of living in a world where too many people see themselves as...

Aaah, Memories! In this episode, the girls take a trip down memory lane as well as talking about memory itself. As is so often the case, Bev and Marina come from very different viewpoints, and while Bev struggles to remember anything at all, Marina can recall specific details from way back when; (having said that, she sometimes forgets to pack her pants when she goes away, and she once forgot to confirm her son's place at his new school!) This charming and funny discussion between the two...

This week's episode provides an interesting take on the concept of being average. Bev and Marina muse over how, in this world of over-achievers and pressure to be exceptional, the idea of being average has become something we are no longer satisfied with. But as the girls ruminate over everything from social media to Oprah, they find that there is much to be celebrated in being average, and plenty of beauty in the ordinary. Perhaps the key to making life As Good As It Gets is to stop worrying...

This week, Bev and Marina discuss the good and bad of being organised, with the ladies at opposite ends of the spectrum. Marina is the more organised of the two and can get three online food shops done whilst sitting on the loo; whereas Bev desperately wants to be organised but cannot seem to get past interruptions from children and washing machines, even whilst trying to write her will! What both agree on, however, is that there is a middle ground where we can be organised whilst still...

In this episode the girls explore the topic of Anger, asking what's behind it and how we can learn to use it as a force for good. But...woe betide anyone who uses the passive aggressive kind with Bev; and if something winds Marina up she may well be found doing some furious needle working, if indeed there is such a thing! Can we learn to harness our anger and use it in a productive way as we continue our quest to make life As Good As It Gets...?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

This week, Bev and Marina tackle the subject of Compromise. Although it's something we all inevitably have to do, that doesn't mean it's always easy. From Bev's refusal to compromise when it comes to getting her kids a dog, to Marina threatening to chain herself to a lamp post in the name of road safety...the girls mull over how to do compromise in a way that makes life As Good As It Gets.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Now that we're daring to dream about the possibility of getting away, the girls reminisce about the good, the bad and the ugly of holidays. Marina shares her experience of a raft building 'break' on a river in Sweden which didn't quite go as expected; while Bev remembers the no pooing policy aboard the 6 berth beast of a motorhome on a leaf-peeping trip to the US. But...were the so-called holiday 'disasters' actually As Good As It Gets...?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out...

Bev and Marina mull over that four letter word: L.O.V.E. Bev admits she’s an old fashioned gal when it comes to love and romance, and we discover that the love of Marina’s life was actually a horse named Jester. Oh, and there’s a surprise appearance from Jest…,I mean Ben Fogle. When it comes to love for our kids, our siblings, our partners or ourselves, what is the key to making it As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a moving and funny episode, Bev and Marina explore their experiences of grief. From the processes of grieving to the silly, hilarious and beautiful connections that were made to help them through.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you a decisive person? Are you sure? From choosing a partner to settling on a place to live, your 21st century guide to living tackles one of life's most tiresome things: decision making. And what is it with Bev and those tiles?!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you at a stage in your life where criticism can't touch you? Or are you constantly drawing negative conclusions from years of in-built stereotypes? Bev and Marina's guide to 21st century living tackles the thorny issue of judging others. Painful listening for any man who drives a fast car, has a big tattoo, and eats Wotsits for breakfast.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the worst things anyone can say about someone else is that they're boring. So how do we stay interesting? Is the secret to be interested in stuff? Is Marina more engaging now that she's had guitar lessons? Will Bev be more fascinating after she's finished that book? And how come this rule doesn't extend to cycling fanatics? Help your own interest factor with this 21st Century Guide To Living.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From punctuation to children to our partners hiding things and calling it tidying, Bev and Marina let loose on all the stuff that annoys the hell out of them. Is there anything funnier than listening to two people get really cross about minor things? Minor things and dog poo. I hate people who don't pick up their dog poo. I MEAN, SERIOUSLY!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In an episode that might otherwise be titled, Spiders vs Dogs, Bev and Marina discuss whether our experiences make us braver or more cautious. And does the ability to conquer our fears get stronger, or has it already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Whether it's related to motherhood, divorce, looking after our parents or just not flossing our teeth enough, we seem to be surrounded by guilt. What can we do to change this? Do core values help us minimise our feelings of regret or should we just accept that our guilt free days have already been As Good As It Gets? Plus, hear the quotation of the series so far when Bev completes this sentence, 'This is a smack in the face for all those feminists who...'   See acast.com/privacy for privacy...

From bottling it for our bad hair days to gifting it to our children, confidence is the holy grail of characteristics, but is it inherent or can it be learnt? Will the experiences of life continue to increase our confidence or has the self belief already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From minding your p's to eating your Yorkshire Puddings by hand, Bev and Marina sit up straight and hardly swear at all as they ponder the benefits of good manners. Did they have better etiquette than their children do now? And does the remoteness of social media mean that polite behaviour has already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sharing a problem can lighten the load, but are there things that we should never burden others with? Bev and Marina look back on the tragedies in their lives and weigh up the positives that came from talking about them openly. Do their families and friends ever wished they were more discreet and have their days of sharing already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The green eyed monsters come out as Bev and Marina discuss what's best about each other's siblings, career and partners! Do they still look around and get envious of others or is there a feeling that everything they have now is already As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From how was your day? To, yes, it looks massive! Bev and Marina dissect the nature and importance of honesty. How does Marina teach her children the art of the white lie, and is Bev being honest with herself when she says that lying is all part of getting along? Will the pair of them ever get better at giving an honest 'no' or has the fine line between tact and truth already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bev and Marina get confessional on how they feel about getting older. Will Bev really be clubbing long into her dotage? And what's the thing Marina fears more than smelling of wee? Is there a perfect time of life that awaits them or has the ageing process already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can a mental audit keep us from our sins? Bev and Marina refrain from their vices just long enough to talk about them. Is this the best time in Marina's life for sticking to her exercise routine, and didn't Bev used to be better at saying no to cake? Can they improve their self discipline together or has it already been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A moving and funny insight on how we feel when having to apologise. Is Marina right that a 'sorry...but' doesn't count? Is Bev right that we should never apologise to our children? Have the pair still some improvements to make when it comes to apologising, or have all their sorries been As Good As It Gets?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.