MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND and want to know more about the country? SIGN UP below for our FREE 5-DAY VIDEO GUIDE! It's all happening in New Plymouth's Pac'n'Save. Mostly around the frozen chicken aisle. Join Liz and Brian this week as they share a healthy dose of New Zealand gossip. Find out what happens when they meet a fan with marital advice, reveal the outcome of be-friending suspicious shoppers, and live up to their favourite label of being scummy! Enjoy! If you'd like to watch this...

So this is the BEST Island in Fiji? Today's episode is brought to you ON LOCATION. We are IN Fijji. Actually there. With the plan trees and everything. I've always wanted to say that. "On location".  It reminds me of Judith Chalmers when she'd stand by a fishing boat somewhere in the Bahamas wearing a turquoise sarong. Flashing her polished dentures at the camera while we all watched through the telly in England. Drooling. Depressed. Wishing it was sunny and not dark at four o'clock. If...

Liz and Brian and getting ready to go to a wedding in Fiji. Of course, there are concerns. Just a few. What with those dancing men and crab-racing women? It's all too much to think about...So Liz, thinks about her old pal, Mo. You know, Mo? The salt-of-the-earth mother-in-law. Mo, with no knickers...THAT Mo. Join us as we plan a VERY special (and extra sociable) occasion!  Liz and Bri x Visit the Show Page here: https://itsadrama.com/fiji-wedding-party-here-we-come-oh-fk Links...

I am a huge fan of this week's guest. Rachael Herron is a best-selling author who not only moved from the United States to New Zealand with her wife, but she then went on to write a book about it! I have followed Rachael for a long time. She has a fabulous podcast (link below) about writing, which has helped and inspired me, both in life and on my writing journey, and today, I got to chat with her about her big move down under! I know you are going to love Rachael as much as I do. It's...

Feeling is healing. I've read those words a lot while grieving my mum. And it's true; to a certain extent, it's true. But what people fail to mention is that feeling also hurts like hell. And no one likes to feel pain. Not if they can possibly avoid it. In this week's behind-the-scenes episode, we share a personal healing practice that Liz has undertaken to help navigate the grief around losing her mum. Writing. Liz is writing her second book, but what started as a happy, healing book about...

What's happening? Why, when I was feeling fine, 'doing ok,' and 'coping', do I suddenly feel like I've been hit by a sledgehammer and fallen down a well of darkness? It's been almost five months since my mum passed.  This is a behind-the-scenes podcast. One of those we never expected to record. But record we did. I've never had a public panic attack before. I didn't have a clue what was happening. But I do now, and we wanted to share this podcast episode with you in the hope that it might...

Liz and Brian are back in New Zealand. They flew from Chiang Mai via Bangkok and China and, thirty hours later, were home in Taranaki, New Zealand. Tucked up in bed. But flying home to NZ didn't go smoothly. In fact, it was a sodding fiasco. What started as a dream-come-true-flight ended with wet knickers and tears. And not only that, the food on the plane was sh*t. Sit back and listen to the story of the return flight  Enjoy! Liz and Brian x Visit the Show Page here:...

Trusting our Teeth to Thailand and paying to be pummelled. After three weeks in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Liz and Brian are smiling from ear to ear. Their bones have been pummeled, their teeth nicely drilled, and they have a ton of cash to spend in weird restaurants... In this week's show, the couple share all about having their teeth fixed with a dentist in Thailand, the full Thai massage experience, and eating out in weird restaurants.   Enjoy! Liz and Brian x Click Here for the...

Combining much-needed dental work with a holiday, Liz and Brian left New Zealand and are in Thailand for a month. Brought to you from their bedroom in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, they are ready to share the story of how they went from feeling utterly stressed and wound up like a screw to feeling chilled and relaxed and floppy like a pair of braless breasts. Find out what Liz and Brian are doing in Chiang Mai to relax, what happened at the airport, and why the smell of sandalwood might...

This week has been horrible, it really has. I'm sorry, but we have more sad news to share. Thank you for being here and letting us talk about it. We also share the difficulties of being able to rest. I for one, struggle to differentiate between work and rest, and as I made this episode, I realised that I might be using the excuse of "but I LOVE to create" to distract myself from grief.  Either that or I'm a workaholic. The truth is, I'm scared of dropping the balls that I've spent years...

Is it Just Me? Wouldn't every mother be the same?  Our son is on holiday in Vegas. And of course, there've been a few dramas. What was interesting, though, was how Liz and Brian reacted differently to some worrying news. Go on, Bri. Put the coffee pot on...  Enjoy! Links mentioned in the show: Sign up for Liz's FREE 5-day LETTERS. They are free, they are inspiring, and they are personal. And best of all, you'll love them. This FREE email newsletter is the best way to get to know Liz. I...

There's been a bit of a to-do in New Zealand this week. A shortage of HRT. Scary stuff... Talking about taking hormone replacement, Brian shares why he takes Testosterone, and the couple discuss their battle to stay true, keep it real and refrain from hitting the delete button whenever they make a mistake. Enjoy! Links mentioned in the show: Sign up for Liz’s FREE 5-day LETTERS. They are free, inspiring, and personal. And best of all, you’ll love them. This FREE email newsletter is the...

Stay. This week we were given a huge reminder. Something that changed the way Liz sees things. The stars aligned. Questions were answered.  On one sunny morning in New Zealand, suddenly everything made sense. This podcast is sent to you with love. We appreciate you always and hope this simple kiwi reminder brings you the comfort that it brought us. Our hearts beat with yours, Liz and Brian x With special love, respect and thanks to The Mutton Birds Links mentioned in the show: Sign up...

Sign up for Liz’s FREE 5-day LETTERS. When we booked our month-long trip to Thailand back in May, it seemed like a grand idea. Get away. Change of scenery. Leave the kids. And now, when it’s almost time to leave, we’re having second thoughts. Or Liz is. In this week’s episode, Liz and Brian chat about the realities of going overseas when one of you doesn’t quite feel up to it. Fear, dread, excitement. Fear again. We’re feeling the lot.  We also discuss the effect of probably the best...

Sign up for Liz's Five Letters here. Be the help you needed. That's always been my motto. My blueprint. My words-in-guiding-armour that help me forward whenever I feel stuck. Especiaslly in these terrifying times of deep grief when I hesitate to share my sadness and struggles for fear of losing subscribers or upsetting those here for the laughs. But. What I have today has to be shared. It has to be. Last week I experienced panic and hope in a way that I never expected. Or knew how to...

It's the first time in eight weeks I've left the house. Apart from getting groceries, walking in nature, and spending an hour or two working at our local cafe, my safe place to grieve has been at home. Alone. In this episode, we wanted to share our first overnight trip away since losing Mum. We went to see our son, Sonny, in Hamilton, New Zealand. In the real world. Filled with grief but determined to do something normal, this is what the experience looked like.  Thank you for listening...

Lately, when I drop into bed at night, I find myself asking how on earth I got through the last twelve hours. Quite often, I don't remember what I did or half of what I said. Yet, if you passed me in the street, you'd think I was a normal, everyday person going about her day, coping. Doing grown-up stuff. Making videos. Living without a mum. This episode was inspired by you. It is made in recognition of all those who have reached out to me, people who have shown their love and support and...

We weren't going to release this podcast episode. The original plan was to discuss whether, after losing her mum to cancer six weeks ago, the deep sadness Liz is feeling is normal grief (as one would expect) or a worryingly worsening depression. And while that's what we did end up discussing, the route we took to arrive at the conclusion was different to what we anticipated. We were ready to scrap the episode and start again. But. We changed our mind. On reflection (and a large red wine...

No description. No words. Just a story. And a thank you. A huge, huge thank you. Thank you for allowing me to share the intimate details of such a sad and heartbreaking time. And for confirming that no matter who we are, where we live, what we look like, or how we spend our days: Our hearts beat as one. And now, a tribute to the woman who made it all seem so very easy. I love you. Liz x  

Wrong. Wrong. And wrong again. You'd think that I'd have learned by now. I've had fifty-three years to practice, after all. But no. Still, I make the mistake of thinking that to make things 'better' and 'easier', I must look outside of myself. Go far afield. Spend a ton of money and wrap my mum and me up in cashmere rugs, then sit alongside Rose and Kathy Bates in first class on the Titanic. Way off, Liz. Not even close. This week's podcast update is brought to you with love, tenderness...

This was one of the hardest podcast episodes I have ever recorded. But it was necessary. I won't watch the recording back because I know for a fact that I'll get cold feet and tell Bri to delete it. So. I hope it's okay and that it isn't too upsetting for you—my sincere apologies if it is. My intention was never to make you feel sad, only strong. Hugged. Confident. Brave enough to speak your truth. To always say what you wish to say to the people who matter the most. Because the world...

Another behind-the-scenes podcast where Liz and Brian share their decision to discuss such personal details about their marriage and life in public (including talking about Liz's mum, who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer). The couple talks about how their family is (trying) to navigate the "new normal", addressing guilt, wrestling with emotions and lastly, the importance of not assuming to know what others are thinking or feeling. You never know. Not ever. If you doubt this...

This week is a behind-the-scenes podcast where Liz explains why she shared a very personal journal entry with three thousand people and the outcome of doing so.   Links mentioned in the show: If you aren't yet signed up for Liz's Front Row newsletter and would like to receive weekly emails, including the email that Liz and Brian talked about in today's episode, email Liz at [email protected], and she will send it to you, gladly. Thank you for being you, for listening and for adding your...

Yesterday, Liz experienced floatation therapy. Spent the day floating in a tank of salt water. Alone. No lights. No sounds. No Bri. This week, the couple discuss the experience and Brian voices his very strong opinions on 'Crotch Eye-balling' and other weird and wonderful alternative therapies. Sit back, nod, relate, and giggle while the couple talks about whacky stress relief, disastrous Greek hotels, and listener holiday laments. Enjoy! We want to hear from you! Drop us a comment below...