Tammi and Sondra are back from a much-needed podcast break, and they catch up on four areas: family, creativity, health and recovery.
 
This week, Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolbox:
Sondra: (1) Do Nothing: How to break away from overworking, overdoing and underliving by Celeste Headlee; (2) On Being Podcast, What’s happening in our nervous systems? With Christine Runyan; (3) Sondra’s newsletter as connection. Tammi: (1) Leann Rimes’ album CHANT: The Human & The Holy; (2) The power of saying NO; and (3) The Robcast Episode 204 Menuha!

Episode 200 - 200!

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Kate Baily. Kate is a certified Life and Personal Performance Coach who specializes in helping women get, stay and love being sober. She is also the coauthor of the book “Love Yourself Sober” and is the cohost of the Love Sober podcast with Mandy Manners. They talk about the beautiful life that can bloom from recovery, in parenting, in ritual, in creativity. You can learn more about Kate, including her book and podcast, at https://www.katebaily.com/ and learn about her coaching offerings at https://www.the-coaching-academy.com/addictive/. 

This week, Kate shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Sensory Toolkit through Blurtitout.org; (2) Community + Connection; and (3) Self-compassion.

Episode 201 - Kate Baily

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra work a few ideas out: overfunctioning, expectations that turn into resentments and efforting that goes nowhere.
 
This week, Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolbox:
Sondra: (1) Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times; (2) Volunteering at Austin Creative Reuse; and (3) #AmWriting Podcast.
Tammi: (1) The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry; (2) Sleep; and (3) Accountability partners.

Episode 202 - Overfunction Much?

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Casey McGuire Davidson. Casey is a certified professional life and sobriety coach and the host of The Hello Someday Podcast. “Is sobriety boring?” is a question Casey hears often as a coach. They talk about the fear of boredom that keeps some people from considering sobriety, they talk about the irony of monotony (life actually gets bigger when you stop drinking), and they share ideas on making your life more fun and joyful when you quit drinking. You can learn more about Casey and her offerings at https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/ and follow her on Instagram @caseymdavidson. 
 
This week, Casey shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Other cool women who have ditched alcohol; (2) Putting myself first; and (3) Vision Boards!

Episode 203 - Casey McGuire Davidson

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra talk about some big and fast approaching milestones. Milestones, whether they are graduations, sober anniversaries or birthdays, are always part joy and part grief. This episode is about the navigation of emotions, emotions made available as a byproduct of recovery.
 
This week, Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolbox:
Sondra: (1) Writing (2) Fiction; and (3) Good TV.
 
Tammi: (1) Creating my audio-newsletter The Weekly WRAP; (2) The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit; and (3) Facebook Marketplace.

Episode 204 - Milestones

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Anthony Eder. Anthony loves music, knitting and connecting with people in recovery, all from the beautiful mountains of Southern California. He also hosts one of the queer-focused meetings at The Luckiest Club, an online sobriety support community. You can find Anthony on Instagram @mwendo.soul. 

This week, Anthony shares three items from his Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Author, Adrian Michael; (2) “When in doubt, dance it out!”; and (3) Knitting.

Episode 205 - Anthony Eder

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra talk about Summer: Summer plans, Summer travel, and most importantly, Summer sobriety.
 
This week, Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolbox:
Sondra: (1) Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty; (2) HBOmax series Hacks; and (3) New Creative Ideas.
Tammi: (1) It’s Not Your Money by Tosha Silver; (2) Red Lipstick; and (3) Podcasts!

Episode 206 - Days Of Summer

After 4+ years, over 200 episodes and 1M downloads, Tammi and Sondra are ready to take an indefinite break from recording the podcast. The pandemic of 2020-21 has invited so many emotions: grief, resilience, liminality. But it has also invited us to question how we do everything. Tammi and Sondra have decided to accept this invitation as a chance to work on individual new projects that could only happen if the decks were cleared. They aren’t shutting anything down, there is a beautiful archive that they hope you will continue to enjoy. And they aren’t saying they won’t pop back in sometime in the future, so that is why, as it’s said, goodbye for now.

Episode 207 - Goodbye For Now, Unruffleds

We are back for a check-in with each other! Our last recording was in August 2021. This is Us NOW in 2022.

Episode 208 - This is Us (Vol 6)

Sondra and Tammi introduce themselves and talk about how they met. They talk about the creative projects that make them jump out of bed every morning. They also lay out the ideas, hopes and dreams for the podcast going forward.

Episode 1 - Introduction

Tammi interviews Sondra in this episode. They cover where she grew up (spoiler: Texas), that her biggest childhood creative pursuit was daydreaming, watching MTV + making mix tapes, and becoming Molly Ringwald. They go into drinking, when that began to look like a problem and how that affected her pursuits of sewing, photography and writing. “There is no room for anything to grow when drinking is your main gig.” Sondra talks about what it was like getting sober, how “journaling saved my ass”, and what creativity looks like now, including the impetus for starting www.TheUnruffled.com. 

The ladies share their top three things in their recovery-slash-creativity toolbox for the week: Sondra’s 3 fave things: S-town podcast, Texas in the springtime, the Wild Unknown tarot cards. Tammi’s 3 fave things: The Jealous Curator podcast, Kusmi BB Detox Tea (yellow label), Sakura gelly roll pens.

The Unruffled Podcast

Episode 2 - Meet Sondra Primeaux

When we quit drinking, we have a void to fill, but where do we start if we think we aren’t creative? Tammi and Sondra dive into this topic starting with the permission slip: it’s okay to call yourself an artist, maker, writer. They cover many ideas to get you started, places for inspiration, jumping off points like Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like An Artist or Lisa Congdon’s Creative Bug drawing classes. “Sobriety delivers what alcohol promised.” We get to actually be the person in sobriety that wanted to be when we were drinking. Don’t compare your beginnings to someone else’s finished product, take the leap. 

The ladies share their top three tools in their recovery-slash-creativity toolboxes for the week:
Sondra’s 3 fave things: Instagram recommendations: @soberbia, @thesoberhipster and @ekkarecovery, thrifting as therapy, and Rob Bell’s podcasts ep. #146 and #148 and his FB Live Easter Day Resurrection Sermon.
Tammi’s 3 fave things: Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa, Quit That! App, and the Chatbooks Instagram subscription series.

Episode 4 - But Wait, I'm Not Creative

On the heels of the She Recovers conference in NYC, where 500 women in recovery gathered to commune and listen to speakers Glennon Doyle Melton, Gabby Bernstein, Elizabeth Vargas, Marianne Williamson, Nikki Myers, Elena Brower, Ann Dowsett Johnston, and many bloggers, Tammi and Sondra recap the event (Tammi attended, Sondra watched via livestream). Details of the event become a perfect segue to talking about the significance of writing, journaling or blogging in recovery. The ladies mention several blogs that helped them in early recovery (Aidan Donnelly Rowley’s, Laura McKowen’s, Jean McCarthy’s Unpickled and Ellie’s One Crafty Mother) but emphasize using your writing as a way to process, make connections and experience the power of Me Too.

The ladies share their top three tools in their recovery-slash-creativity toolboxes for the week:
Sondra’s 3 fave things: The Law of Divine Compensation: On Work, Money and Miracles by Marianne Williamson, added hula hooping to her movement toolbox and Jolene Park’s Healthy Discoveries website. Tammi’s 3 fave things: Bach’s Rescue Remedy products, essential oils for anxiety relief and her Ray of Light Interview Series featuring women recovering out loud, as well as her 24-month long Sobriety Milestone Series - both of which can be found on her blog at www.tammisalas.com.

Episode 6 - Blogging in Recovery

Today, Tammi and Sondra share their creative and recovery mentors and teachers. Sondra’s first teachers were in one-on-one situations or direct studies, while Tammi’s first teachers were discovered from books and blogs, but they had something in common: their first teachers had something they wanted. Some of the names they mention in this episode are Mary Karr, Krista Tippett, Natalie Chanin, Anne Lamott, Nici Holt Cline and Vivienne McMaster. 
 
The ladies share their top three tools in their Unruffled Toolbox for the week:
Sondra’s 3 fave things: Getting out of town for the weekend, a good night’s sleep, and running sprints.
Tammi’s 3 fave things: Removing coffee from her life 176 days ago (almost six months!); The Rich Roll Podcast “Growth is our Mandate” which aired May 17, 2017; and her daily gratitude list practice + all-female gratitude circle.

Episode 9 - Mentors + Teachers

Today, Tammi and Sondra interview Carly Benson. Carly is a recovered addict turned faithful believer in miracles, she is the creator of the site Miracles Are Brewing, sobriety coach and yoga instructor, co-creator of The Bloom Club, a subscription-based recovery club and has recently launched Om Vibes Only, a conscious alcohol-free gathering integrating yoga, deep house music and mindfulness. In a nutshell, Carly is a sober, creative power-house and her enthusiasm is contagious. 

This week Carly shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox with our listeners: (1) Yoga; (2) Prayer; and (3) Essential oils.

Episode 12 - Carly Benson Interview

This week, Tammi and Sondra talk to Daniel Blue. Daniel is the singer/lyricist in the Seattle folk/rock band, Motopony. Like many creatives, he has worn many hats, including fashion designer, graphic designer, painter, director, actor and poet. They talk about how Tammi and Daniel met, how he came to sobriety, and what it is like to be a sober rockstar (ok, our words, not his). Daniel and Motopony are currently working on a single, soon to be released. You can find out more about him on his website www.danielblue.com or on his band’s website at www.motoponymusic.com. 

This week Daniel shares three items from his Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Upon waking, he rolls up on his knees, bows + releases his will; (2) pushes the pen + does morning pages; and (3) sets aside an hour for a meeting with his Higher Power + stays connected to other alcoholics + believers.

Episode 14 - Daniel Blue Interview

Today, Tammi and Sondra catch up with Chris Aguirre. Chris is the co-host of the Since Right Now podcast, curates the recovery site Klēn&Sōber and this year will celebrate his twentieth year of sobriety. They talk about what it’s like to work in the online recovery space while finding time to address mental health, his own creative projects, and what it’s like to be a stay-at-home, sober Dad. Chris is candid and funny and we really appreciate the platform he has built and the creative recovery community he has helped to foster.

This week Chris shares three items from his Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Exercise; (2) Meditation; and (3) Making creatively fulfilling work.

Episode 20 - Chris Aguirre

Today, Tammi and Sondra are excited to talk to Cristina Ferri. Cristina is the founder of www.soberunicorn.com, a non-profit based in Rhode Island that is focused on helping people transition into a new life in recovery with bags of necessities that Cristina calls “blessing bags”. They also talk about Cristina’s deep faith, what that means to her and her recovery and how that has helped her hone her multiple passions into one purpose: giving back. Cristina’s heart is so big, you will feel it through your earbuds. They hope this episode will inspire you to find your own opportunities to give back.

This week Cristina shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Prayer + Meditation; (2) Blogging + Blessing Bags; and (3) Going outside of her comfort zone!

Episode 27 - Cristina Ferri

Today, Tammi and Sondra are honored to have on the show, Ann Dowsett Johnston. If you don’t know, Ann is the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol and became the poster girl for the modern day alcoholic. The ladies talk about the alcohol industry, and specifically as it’s targeted to women, they talk about how quitting drinking makes sense as a #midlifesolution, the effects drinking had on her as a writer, and how Ann’s gratitude practice has been an essential part of her recovery. As a public speaker on these topics (if this is your first introduction to Ann, watch her TEDx Talk), Ann is generous, smart and well-versed on the real effects alcohol has on women, individually and as a culture. This is such an important interview, you may want to grab a pen and notebook!

This week Ann shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Daily gratitude list practice; (2) Writing in her journal; and (3) Her female sober tribe.

Episode 32 - Ann Dowsett Johnston

In this episode, Tammi and Sondra are excited to bring you a conversation with Andrea Owen. Andrea is a mentor, certified life-coach, sober Mama, host of Your Kick Ass Life Podcast and most recently, author of a new book, How To Stop Feeling Like Shit: 14 Habits That Are Holding You Back From Happiness. Andrea talks about her sobriety journey, one in which many can relate, a story of jumping off of the bus before it slams into the wall. She talks about the emotional work that was left to address, which has helped her deal with grief, parenting and has led to all of the work she does on her own podcast and in her new book, helping women address all of the things that are holding them back. It is a kick-ass conversation, and you can find everything Andrea Owen at http://yourkickasslife.com/. 

This week Andrea shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Trusted people that I reach out to; (2) Writing; and (3) Ommwriter software.

Episode 45 - Andrea Owen

This week on the pod, Tammi and Sondra are happy to share a conversation with Andrea Krussel. Andrea is our favorite kind of multi-passionate: marathon runner, Mama, yogi, occasional actress and creative drama teacher and higher education administrator. They talk about many things, but mostly how listening to your intuition, even when it’s quiet, can put you on a path to fulfillment. If you are someone who is in a place where that voice is quietly nudging you to question your relationship with alcohol, then this episode is for you. You can follow Andrea on Instagram, where she posts a lot of photos of her animals and kids @andem_k. 

This week Andrea shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Heat; (2) Reading fiction; and (3) Singing.

Episode 55 - Andrea Krussel

Rounding out the Sober Sister Summer Series, Tammi and Sondra are happy to bring you a conversation with their friend, Susan Sainsbury. Susan is a creative, sober sister from another Mother, tucked into the Catskills with her family and animals, she has the kind of creative prowess that inspires envy. From her quaint farmhouse, studio and garden, her found object art to her community work, Susan has crafted a beautiful life in recovery. She lives with so much intention now and to see more of what she is up to in her day-to-day, you can catch her on Instagram @susansainsbury_themakinghour. 

This week Susan shares items from her Early Sobriety Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Stop Drinking Now by Allen Carr; (2) Podcasts about sobriety; (3) Ginger syrup beverages; and (4) A therapist. Today, her current Unruffled Toolbox consists of: (1) Podcasts; (2) In real life community; and (3) Alone time.

Episode 73 - Susan Sainsbury

Today, Tammi and Sondra are excited to share a conversation with artist, author and teacher, Sabrina Ward Harrison. Although Sabrina has had a prolific creative career, she came to a point in her life where she felt alcohol was holding her back and today, she shares her sobriety story publicly for the first time. Tammi and Sondra are honored to hold this space for her and they hope that her message and her art inspire you beyond this interview. You can learn more about Sabrina at https://www.sabrinawardharrison.info/, where you can also learn about her new online class, Untether. You can also catch her on her own podcast, Room in the Trees that she co-hosts with Trent Reynolds or on Instagram @sabrinawardharrison. 

This week Sabrina shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Poet John O’Donohue interview with Krista Tippett on On Being; (2) Moving my body; and (3) Tiffany Han’s Raise Your Hand Say Yes podcast.

Episode 78 - Sabrina Ward Harrison

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Heidi Ferrer. Heidi is a woman who wears many hats: screenwriter, novelist, Mom, blogger, YouTuber and wife but “sober” is one in which she’s most proud. It wasn’t a smooth road for Heidi, however, and she shares the struggles she encountered, including a few relapses and the ladies so appreciate her vulnerability. Heidi’s soaring in sobriety and you will feel her effervescence through your earbuds. To see what Heidi is up to, including a just-launched sobriety support program, visit http://girltomom.com/ or you can find her on Instagram at @RecovHer.

This week Heidi shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Meditation (2) Nature; and (3) Connection.

Episode 106 - Heidi Ferrer

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Emily Cornell. Emily is an ex-advertising exec and now expat, living with her husband in Brussels where she is learning to claim “sober” and “writer” as part of her public identity, sharing her story for the first time. They talk about how living abroad has forced her to get creative not just in support of her recovery but with her recovery modalities as well and how things like the Recovery Gals Art Exchange, virtual coffee dates and the Write Doe Bay writing retreat have all boosted her commitment to sobriety. If you want to read Emily’s musings on her everyday expat experience, you can find her words at https://www.unexpectedexpat.com/ or you can follow her on Instagram @ECCornell. 

This week Emily shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Morning pages; (2) Exercise with other people; and (3) Google Hangouts.

Episode 109 - Emily Cornell

Continuing with the interview series of creative, sober women from the Unruffled community, Tammi and Sondra are happy to welcome Mary Ellen Cusack. Mary Ellen is a grateful, sober single Mom of four, lifelong art enthusiast, artist and maker from Massachusetts. They talk about how recovery allows for examining all of the masks we wear that are generated by doubts, fears and insecurities and when we dismantle those, the courageous artist can finally emerge. To learn more about Mary Ellen and her art, follow her on Instagram @mecusack.

This week, Mary Ellen shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Practice; (2) Meditation; (3) Online resources.

Episode 139 - Mary Ellen Cusack

This month on the podcast, Sondra is going solo with an author series. This week, she’s thrilled to share a conversation with writer Emily Arnason Casey about her book, Made Holy: Essays. They talk about the nuanced definition of alcoholism as a disease, they talk about the courage to write honestly, and they talk about the pull of nostalgia. Emily’s careful telling of family, landscape, love, addiction and loss will leave you ruminating for a long time. To learn more about Emily, read current work and buy her book, go to https://emilyarnasoncasey.com/. You can also follow her on Twitter @emilyarna and Instagram @emily_arna.

This week, Emily shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Gratitude list with a partner; (2) A good sweat; (3) “you can’t afford to pick that up today”.

Episode 162 - Emily Arnason Casey

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra review the year, and what a year it’s been. They talk about the clarity that has come from 2020, the ways they double-downed on their recovery and they reflect on their 2020 Words of the Year, ending with a projection for 2021.
 
This week, Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolbox:
Sondra: (1) Money work; (2) Planner/Ledger/Journal; and (3) Studio.
Tammi: (1) My Quaran-routine; (2) Zoom; and (3) Therapy + Teachers.

Episode 194 - 2020 Year In Review

This week on the podcast, Sondra and Tammi welcome back their friend and favorite astrologer, Natha Campanella. (Natha’s first appearance was Episode 60.) They asked Natha to come back so they could discuss some things that were brought up in each of the various readings they’d had with her and give evidence as to how they’ve played out. They also beg for some positive forecasting for 2021.To learn more about Natha and her upcoming offerings, you can find her at https://nathacampanella.com/ or follow her on Instagram @natha_campanella_astrology. 
 
This week, Natha shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Tune in to my physical responses; (2) Walking; and (3) Tuning In. Getting Quiet. Awareness.

Episode 197 - Natha Campanella

Today on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra reflect on Inauguration Day. They gush about the women and the diversity and the art on the stage. They talk about being spellbound by the fashion and the poet, Amanda Gorman. They talk about the message of hope delivered and received, and felt that was worth a conversation.

Episode 198 - Inauguration Day

Today on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra are excited to welcome Carrie Mallon. Carrie is a professional tarot reader, teacher, and co-creator of The Spacious Tarot deck. Carrie gives some history of tarot, explains the basics of a tarot deck and her ideas on how tarot can be part of any spiritual practice. Tammi and Sondra love Carrie’s website, http://carriemallon.com/, and refer to it often in their own tarot card practice. You can also follow Carrie on Instagram @carriemallon and buy her beautiful deck https://thespacioustarot.com/. 
 
This week, Carrie shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Zooming out; (2) Taking baths; and (3) Forest app.

Episode 199 - Carrie Mallon

The Unruffled Podcast is a weekly show hosted by Sondra Primeaux and Tammi Salas that explores all topics relating to creativity in recovery. When an addiction is removed, there is a void that is left and this show digs into all of the ways to fill that void. The Unruffled is passionate about creating and making and how those pursuits fuel recovery, specifically from alcohol. Come with them as they unruffle the old stories and write new ones, to not just exist but thrive.

The Unruffled Podcast

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