halloween special 🎃 our fave spooky movies, cozy tv shows & pop culture picks | ep 16
this week’s episode is our halloween special 🎃 a mix of spooky, cozy, and chaotic, where we share our favourite movies, tv shows, books, albums, and internet obsessions.
expect everything from gilmore girls nostalgia to chappell roan fangirling, a little emily henry book talk, and some strong opinions on parks and recreation (as always).
whether you love the horror classics or just want background vibes while you carve pumpkins, this one’s full of comfort, chaos, and pop-culture love.
📩 tell us your halloween recs: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
Follow us:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
chapters:
00:00 intro
01:31 meg’s no. 3 spooky movie
04:29 erica’s no. 3 spooky movie
06:21 meg’s no. 2 spooky movie
07:09 erica’s no. 2 spooky movie
09:00 meg’s no. 1 spooky movie
10:22 erica’s spooky honourable mention
10:43 erica’s no. 1 spooky movie
12:47 erica’s no. 3 movie
14:59 meg’s honourable mention movie
15:55 meg’s no. 3 movie
17:31 erica’s no. 2 movie
18:53 meg’s no. 2 movie
20:35 erica’s honourable mention movies
21:21 erica’s no. 1 movie
24:57 meg’s no. 1 movie
26:54 meg’s no. 3 tv show
28:47 meg’s no. 2 tv show
31:43 erica’s no. 3 tv show
33:37 erica’s no. 2 tv show
36:21 meg’s no. 1 tv show
41:18 erica’s tv honourable mentions
43:13 erica’s no. 1 tv show
47:13 erica’s no. 3 album
51:17 meg’s no. 3 album
53:12 erica’s no. 2 album
56:28 meg’s no. 2 album
59:57 erica’s honourable mention albums
01:02:47 erica’s no. 1 album
01:06:50 meg’s no. 1 album
01:08:39 meg’s no. 3 book
01:11:41 erica’s no. 3 and meg’s no. 2 book
01:15:34 erica’s no. 2 book
01:17:59 meg’s no. 1 book
01:20:05 erica’s honourable mention book
01:22:48 erica’s no. 1 book
01:25:03 meg’s no. 3 social media pick
01:25:50 erica’s no. 3 social media pick
01:27:03 meg’s no. 2 social media pick
01:27:43 erica’s no. 2 social media pick
01:29:45 meg’s no. 1 social media pick
01:31:09 erica’s no. 1 social media pick
01:31:28 meg’s fave YouTubers
01:35:52 outro
this week’s episode dives into feminine rage, policing other people’s behaviour, and how culture shapes the way we express emotion. meg grew up in a repressed aussie-irish household where women weren’t “supposed” to get angry, while erica’s hungarian upbringing was the complete opposite — expressive, loud, and unapologetic.
we talk about what happens when anger is discouraged, how it shows up later in life, and why letting yourself feel it can actually be freeing. there’s also a mini rant on diet culture, some personal updates, and our current hyperfixations (as always).
if you’ve ever been told you’re “too much” or struggled to express yourself without guilt, this one’s for you.
📩 email us: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
Follow us:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
chapters:
00:00 intro
01:48 erica’s updates
04:13 a little podcast update
04:59 meg’s updates
08:37 a bit more of an erica update
14:03 we describe ourselves
16:45 a rant on diet culture
26:57 on policing others
33:56 feminine rage
57:28 current hyperfixations
01:01:03 outro
this week’s episode is all about appearance, confidence, and self-love - how we see ourselves vs how the world sees us. we talk about the noise of other people’s opinions, problems with learning to compartmentalise, and the strange difference between the neurodivergent and neurotypical world.somewhere in there we go on a food tangent, unpack our relationship to “hotness”, and end up in a surprisingly deep chat about western individualism vs eastern collectivism - because of course we do.if you’ve ever struggled to feel comfortable in your own skin or cared a little too much about how you’re perceived, this one’s for you.📩 email us your thoughts: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.comFollow us:@fingerscrossedthepodcast@fakewitcherica@megstierneychapters:00:00 intro03:40 erica’s updates18:29 meg’s updates23:35 the noise of other people’s opinions36:17 on compartmentalising 41:23 neurodivergent vs neurotypical differences44:00 food tangent49:37 thoughts on hotness01:04:56 western individualist vs eastern communal cultural differences01:16:03 outro
this week’s episode has range. meg’s recovering from pharyngitis, erica has a less-than-ideal dating experience that somehow turns into a full-blown existential spiral about life stages, self-image, and how people (and exes) might see her.
we talk about the messy overlap between mental health, dating, and self-worth, how it feels to be “behind” when you’re just trying to hold it together, and why sometimes you just need a dramatic cry in your bedroom.
then we close things out with our thoughts on taylor swift’s new album the life of a showgirl — as long-time fans, we’ve got opinions.
📩 email us: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
Follow us:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
chapters:
00:00 intro
01:12 meg’s sick
07:35 soup tangent
12:10 erica’s dating app story
17:09 existential crisis around dating
21:13 pregnancy spiral
30:42 existential crisis continued
41:35 taylor swift’s the life of a showgirl thoughts
01:01:27 outro
this week, erica shares her first experiences with somatic therapy - how it’s been helping with both CPTSD and autoimmune issues, and why reconnecting with the body feels so different (and more hopeful) than traditional talk therapy.
then we switch gears and talk about love - what we actually want in a partner, the traits we’re most drawn to, and how our relationship expectations have shifted as we’ve grown.
whether you’re curious about healing trauma through somatic therapy or just love a bit of messy, honest relationship chat, this one’s got both.
📩 email us: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
Follow us:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
timestamps:
00:00 - intro
00:49 - meg's week recap
07:00 - erica quick car story
11:45 - somatic therapy chat
24:14 - meg loses her marbles
25:11 - more somatic therapy chat
33:41 - what we look for in a partner
36:20 - relationship expectations
44:55 - more traits in partners
1:13:19 - outro with comment shoutouts
Link to Qi Workout video: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSDvteyc4/
this week’s episode is lighter (we needed it). we’re catching up on our very chaotic weeks, sharing some unexpected things we’re grateful for, and somehow landing in deep chats about compliments, health spirals, body image, and food - again.
also covered:
fake house inspections (??)
what book-to-movie adaptations we're excited for
a chaotic intro to the enneagram
what compliments we think people should give
and the emotional side of living in an appearance-obsessed culture
this one’s for the girlies who are self-aware, a little tired, and still trying to be grateful anyway.
timestamps:
00:00 intro
01:17 erica’s eventful week
12:51 meg’s week
13:37 things we’re grateful for
14:00 fake inspection update
16:05 back to things we’re grateful for
20:24 books turned into movies
26:02 chat about health
31:43 thoughts on complements
34:51 intro to the enneagram
45:11 living in an appearance conscious society
47:52 more health chats
55:56 massive chat about food
01:14:07 outro
📩 email us: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
Follow us:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
content warning: this episode contains discussion of eating disorders, childhood trauma, and disordered eating behaviours including anorexia, orthorexia, and binge eating.
in this deeply personal episode, we talk about our experiences with eating disorders, the ways child abuse and neglect shaped our relationships with food and our bodies, and how we’ve been working through recovery - emotionally, physically, and socially.
we explore:
the impact of narcissistic parenting
the crossover between control, fear, and food
how disordered eating can look “healthy” on the outside
and why healing isn’t linear but it is possible
this one is confronting, vulnerable, and full of things we wish we’d heard sooner.
chapters:
intro and content warning - 00:00
erica’s story - 01:54
some stuff erica forgot - 20:41
erica’s story continued - 32:30
meg’s story - 51:05
reflections - 01:12:17
outro - 01:30:34
Books mentioned:
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, Or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay Gibson
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
📩 if this resonates or you want to share your story:
fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
you can also find us at:
@fingerscrossedthepodcast
@fakewitcherica
@megstierney
episode 9 is a softer one, a breather between the chaos.
this week, we take a moment to reflect on the things we love about each other, what we’ve learned from our friendship, and how our love languages show up (sometimes awkwardly, always honestly). we also talk about how we've come to love some qualities about ourselves too.
if you need a little comfort, affirmation, or reminder that your softness is a strength, this is the one to listen to.
timestamps:
intro - 0:00
fave things about each other - 03:28
what we like in ourselves - 19:00
what we've learnt from each other - 36:10
love languages - 1:01:15
outro - 1:12:00
📩 email us your love language or something you love about yourself:
fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
in this week’s episode, things get deep and occasionally unhinged.
megs recaps her latest therapy breakthroughs, erica opens up about complicated family dynamics and dad stuff, and we spiral into a chat about social anxiety and people being misunderstood, and why your gut feeling is probably trying to save your life.
also:
if you’ve ever replayed felt a weird vibe and turned out to be right - this one’s for you.
📩 tell us your thoughts (or flaws): fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
0:00 - 4:00 Intro
4:00 - 22:22 Megs Therapy
22:22-57:08 Erica Dad/family talk
57:08-1:07.30 Social anxiety discourse
1:02.24-1:11.51 Intuition/Bad feeling
1:18.10-1:17.20 Chocolate temp/discussion
1:17.20-1:19.21 internet/cancel culture
1:19.21-1:30.51 Flaws
1:30.51-1:32.45 Outro
this week’s episode is equal parts soft, chaotic, and weirdly motivational.
we talk about the platitudes that actually help (yes, some of them slap), how we’re both working on building self-confidence in our own neurodivergent, slightly unhinged ways, and whether we’re cat people or dog people (hint: it gets heated).
plus:
navigating anxiety when you’re trying to grow
reframing “the only way out is through” without punching anyone
and a wrap-up that might leave you on a "high"
whether you need a gentle kick of perspective or just want to laugh at how many issues we project onto our pets, this one’s for you.
📩 email us your pet opinions and personal mantras: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
in this week’s episode, we spiral back in time to our childhood crushes (spoiler: deeply embarrassing), then fast-forward into the messy reality of dating while neurodivergent. we talk about the awkward stories, mixed signals, sensory overload and the men who made us question everything.
topics include:
the unexpected early crushes that shaped us
how exes always come back (except for sometimes)
other mortifying things you'd never want other people to know but here we are
if you’ve ever left a date and thought, “what just happened?”, you’ll feel right at home here.
📩 email us your dating stories: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
this week starts off light with megan’s psychic reading recap and somehow ends in a full-blown spiral about class, capitalism, and candace owens. classic.
we talk:
it’s unfiltered, unstructured, and probably going to get us $hadowb@nned. enjoy.
📩 email us: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
inspired by trisha paytas naming her baby aquaman, we kick things off with the baby names we love but would never use, then dive into our latest therapy takeaways, some mixed feelings on marriage, and the ongoing chaos that is planning a future when you’re neurodivergent and tired.
we also touch on:
if you’ve ever overshared at a party, made up fake baby names just for the aesthetic, or spiralled in therapy, this one’s for you.
📩 tell us your thoughts: fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
00:00 intro
01:14 baby names we like but wouldn’t use
07:25 meg therapy recap
13:00 erica therapy recap
20:13 thoughts on marriage
44:25 our life goals
48:35 quick rant on sleep
50:20 neurodivergence and parties
56:13 get z stare and manners
1:07:02 a pretty heated outro
aka: health trauma, survival mode, and still showing up
this week, we get personal about something that’s shaped both of our lives in big, painful, and invisible ways: our health. meg shares her experience with cancer and having a hysterectomy in her early thirties , while erica opens up about surviving toxic shock syndrome and developing MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome), an autoimmune condition that impacts her daily life in ways most people don’t see.
there’s also an update on erica’s current business ventures because life doesn’t pause, even when your body tries to.
we’d love to hear from you
if you’ve been through something similar, or just want to share your own story, our inbox is always open:
📩 fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
thanks for being here. we’re so glad you are.
aka: why is vulnerability so hard (and dating even harder)
in this episode, erica goes on three dates in one day (yes, really) and somehow manages to feel… nothing. we unpack what it means when dating feels hollow, how we’re supposed to know if we like someone, and ponder if it's timing or the people.
we also talk about meg’s relationship to vulnerability: how it’s evolved, what still feels hard, and what comes up when you’re suddenly sharing personal stuff with the internet. spoiler: there’s a bit of a tense moment but we figure it out as we do. love conquers all etc.
got thoughts?
have you ever gone on a date and felt absolutely nothing? do you struggle with being vulnerable? we’d love to hear from you:
📩 fingerscrossedthepodcast@gmail.com
thanks for listening xx
aka: daddy issues, cptsd, and other light conversation starters
in our very first episode, we dive straight into the deep end with a chaotic story from erica’s dad’s love life that quickly derails into something more existential (as it always does). we reflect on what we’ve learned about love, family, and why our brains work the way they do.
expect tangents, dry humour, accidental vulnerability, and a surprising amount of emotional depth for an episode with this title.
timestamps:
00:00 – intro
02:05 – tales of erica’s dad's love life
14:59 – reflecting on life and love
27:39 – talking about neurodivergence
35:03 – meg reflects on her family
43:20 – on cptsd and attachment styles
53:58 – post-breakup reflections
thanks for being here, we’re so glad you found us <3
follow the pod, leave us a review, or send it to someone who loves a bit of chaos and clarity in equal measure.
coming soon: unfiltered chats from two lifelong friends.
we’re megs, and erica childhood besties who’ve been through a lot and talk about it all: mental health, love, family, identity, and the weird ways our brains work.
our first full episode drops wednesday — follow now so you don’t miss it.
