Thumb sucking, toddler shyness & are permanent holiday lights TACKY or WORTH IT?!

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy FRIDAY!! We open with the debate you guys started: permanent holiday lights. The comments say they’re the answer to our white lights vs. colored lights problem.. we say lights go UP and lights come DOWN (or you lose the specialness!!). Tacky or worth it, we need votes!!

A follow up on the budgeting app: the no-spend era is real. Alex is now submitting purchase requests to the CFO of the household (Jules jk lol) live on the pod (makeup remover, toy bins and hangers: APPROVED hahaha). Jules is also headed to a baby shower this weekend, which gets us into going splitsies on gifts, the wedding card she bought three years ago and never sent (it’s getting a baby drawn on it and a second life), and the sweetest story we’ve heard in a while about a shirt our friend has worn since his first date.. which turns into the real question: what are the sentimental items you will NEVER throw away?

What we’re watching corner: a Heated Rivalry update (season one is coming to theaters?!), the Elizabeth Holmes documentary feedback (every single person says GO, we’re going), and the Love Is Blind clip that has Harrison asking if he needs to start watching.

PLUS we announce our lunch giveback winner.. Dani from Seattle, DM us!!!

Then it’s what’s on the table today?!

🧸 Parenting: is my toddler shy, or is it just a new situation? (the dance class name song has us thinking) and thumb sucking vs. the pacifier.. Rocky has officially chosen the thumb and we’re at peace with it.

🍿 Pop culture: Selena Gomez quit vaping and used her platform to say it’s not worth it, which somehow leads to remembering when restaurants had SMOKING SECTIONS??

💼 Business: Airbnb is banning checkout chore lists (great news.. unless the cleaning fees go up?) and SpaceX & Tesla are exploring a merger, aka Elon negotiating with himself hahaha

💻 Technology: half the internet needs a security patch (and it’s apparently a 9.2/10 problem???)

We close with the Bicker of the Week: “I’ll be ready in a second”.. a second is not a unit of time Harrison recognizes. Plus the question of the week from Grace on YouTube: what’s the best and hardest part of having two kids close in age?

Hope everyone has a great weekend :-) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:04:05 Are permanent holiday lights TACKY or WORTH IT?!

00:07:12 Budgeting follow up: no spending.. except the essentials

00:10:17 Going splitsies on a baby shower gift

00:12:24 The sentimental items you NEVER throw away

00:16:16 Heated Rivalry update: it's coming to theaters?!

00:18:02 The Elizabeth Holmes documentary feedback

00:21:57 Should Harrison start watching Love Is Blind?!

00:25:10 Announcing our lunch giveback WINNER!!

00:26:48 Is my toddler shy.. or is it just a new situation?

00:29:58 Thumb sucking vs. the pacifier

00:34:17 Selena Gomez quit vaping

00:37:31 Remember smoking sections in restaurants?!

00:39:01 Airbnb is banning checkout chore lists

00:42:43 Half the internet needs a security patch?!

00:45:04 SpaceX & Tesla are exploring a MERGER

00:48:57 Bicker of the Week: "I'll be ready in a second.."

00:53:29 Our early personality reads on Tate & Rocky

00:55:07 Question of the week: kids close in age.. worth it?

00:56:58 LOVE YOU GUYS!

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Sources:

*Heated Rivalry: https://variety.com/2026/tv/columns/heated-rivalry-released-movie-theaters-1236916996/

*Elizabeth Holmes: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/you-can-see-everything-nathan-fielder-elizabeth-holmes-documentary-f5b0f67e

*Toddler Shyness: https://blog.lovevery.com/social-emotional-behavior/supporting-shy-child/

*Thumb sucking: https://midlothianpediatricdentist.com/thumb-sucking-in-babies-is-it-really-bad/

*Selena Gomez quits vaping: https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/selena-gomez-shares-warning-vaping-changed-voice/story?id=137373235

*Airbnb bans checkout chore lists: https://people