The Refreshingly Normal Podcast with Kēfla and Cree

Kefla and Crecia
  • 5.0 (4)
  • RELATIONSHIPS

The Refreshingly Normal Podcast Welcome to The Refreshingly Normal Podcast, where real life meets real laughs. We are Kēfla and Lucrecia (Cree), a married couple of 22 years, long-time educators, and now stepping into the world of mental health counseling. Think of us as your favorite Unc and Auntie of the podcast world, keeping it honest, heartfelt, and hilariously human. We’re also proud parents of twin young men who just turned 21 and are officially stepping into adulthood, which means paying their own bills (finally!). From raising kids to letting go, we’re navigating this new chapter with the same mix of love, humor, and a little side-eye. Each week, we dive into the ups and downs of parenting, love, marriage, dating, and everything in between, served with a side of humor and practical wisdom. Whether we’re sharing lessons from the classroom, stories from our travels, or awkward moments at the gym or dinner table, one thing’s for sure, we keep it refreshingly normal. So grab a cup of coffee (or a protein shake) and join the conversation. It’s therapy meets kitchen table talk… and you’re invited.

  1. 6H AGO

    GLP-1, Love, And Life

    A lash tech, a box of cheesecake, and a plan so bizarre it could be TV—our opening story turns a casual catch-up into a masterclass in paying attention to your gut. From there, we move through the joy and grind of school life: patient math help, energetic environmental science, and what it takes to lead adult trainings that actually change classrooms. We share how to set student teachers up for success, why letting interns into real workshops matters, and the small choices that build confidence before day one. Then we go deep on GLP-1 medications and the science of obesity, guided by clear, compassionate takeaways. Weight isn’t just willpower. Set points, hormones, and brain chemistry push bodies toward familiar numbers, which is why so many people rebound despite clean eating and exercise. We challenge the “cheating” narrative and focus on the health metrics that count: A1C, fasting glucose, blood pressure, lipids, and inflammation. Whether vanity goals or disease risk brought you to the question, the better frame is longevity, energy, and quality of life. We talk about making space for empathy in families, quieting shame, and choosing tools that fit your biology. Along the way we laugh through grocery-store scavenger hunts, partner questions, and those everyday moments that make a home. We honor MLK Day with memories of parades, service, and traditions that keep the light on. And we close with gratitude—new therapy work, resilient health during a rough season, and the stubborn hope that small choices still change futures. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a kinder take on weight and health, and leave a review with your biggest insight. Your words help curious listeners find a space that feels, well, refreshingly normal. Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 16m

  2. JAN 11

    Normal Is Enough

    Let’s talk about the kind of love that doesn’t need a filter—the kind that makes dinner together, leaves sweet reminders in the rush to work, and chooses repair over winning an argument. We open up about why “normal” gets a bad rap, how perfectionism sneaks into everything, and what to do when your relationship feels more routine than cinematic. We share concrete ways we reconnect when life is heavy or just plain boring: daily “I love yous,” acts of service that actually land, and honest check-ins that invite feedback without blame. We unpack the comparison trap—how curated feeds set expectations no human can hold—and offer a reset: define your version of commitment, fun, and stability, then protect it. You’ll hear how we navigate overthinking, own our missteps, and use small rituals to keep the emotional floor strong. Expect candid stories, a few laughs, and practical tools you can use tonight. Along the way, we challenge a few myths: that constant excitement equals healthy love, that the crowd decides what’s normal, and that growth must look like a highlight reel. Instead, we champion kindness with boundaries, empathy with accountability, and presence over performance. Whether you’re dating, newly married, or decades in, you’ll find ideas to simplify connection, reduce pressure, and build something sustainable. If this conversation helps, share it with someone who needs a little normal. Subscribe for more refreshingly honest takes, leave a review to support the show, and tell us: what’s one small ritual that keeps you close? Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 32m
  3. New Year, Enhanced You

    JAN 4

    New Year, Enhanced You

    What if the new year didn’t demand a whole new you, just a clearer, kinder version of who you already are? We kick off 2026 by choosing “enhanced you,” and the conversation flows from real-life flu season tactics to identity-building habits and the courage to show love on purpose. We start with a family check-in and practical health talk, why quarantining early, visiting urgent care, and considering a one-dose antiviral like Xofluza can shorten recovery and protect everyone at home. From there, we dive into the rhythm of school-year sickness and the boundaries that keep classrooms healthier, then pause for some honest HBCU accountability about student teaching placements. The thread that ties it all together: intention over inertia. Goals take center stage with a different lens. We reframe resolutions into affirmations, learning a full guitar song, advancing a yoga certification, and experimenting with minimalism while making budgeting sustainable. There’s a 365-day running streak in the mix, proof that small daily reps stack into identity, plus plans to layer in strength training for a half-marathon and beyond. On the career front, we talk about removing the “A” from LAPC by stacking supervision hours, shadowing strong practices, and building toward a therapy practice that serves families, kids, and corporate wellness. Mental health gets equal airtime. We explore meditation as prehab, not just a crisis tool, and share simple resets: silent drives, bedtime brain-dumps, and curating inputs to exude and attract positive energy. We also get candid about decluttering blocks, adult ADHD questions, and why insurance and dental costs complicate budgeting—because financial wellness is part of the wellness. The episode closes with an image you’ll remember: driving through heavy fog. You don’t wait for perfect visibility. You move forward, one careful step at a time. If this conversation helps you choose intention, consistency, and kinder self-talk, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave a review. Tell us: what are you reframing this year? Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 22m
  4. Family Drama, Open Marriage Ultimatums, And New Year Goals

    12/28/2025

    Family Drama, Open Marriage Ultimatums, And New Year Goals

    Holidays can be cozy, chaotic, and clarifying and ours had all three. We kept the menu simple, savored a dressed-up Costco smoked turkey, battled through musical cups with championship-level energy, and used the quiet to talk about what matters more than leftovers: respect, boundaries, and what we refuse to carry into 2026. First, we unpack a story that stings: a woman’s dishes are ignored at her in-laws’ gatherings then even her soda and carefully chosen coffee are shrugged off. When everything tied to you gets rejected, it’s not the recipe, it’s the room. We talk about reading behavior over excuses, what real partner support looks like in family dynamics, and how to set boundaries when hospitality becomes a weapon. The takeaway is clear: you don’t win people over by cooking harder; you reclaim your dignity by listening to the message and acting accordingly. Then we tackle a relationship curveball: a partner who says he’ll only marry if the relationship is open. No warning, no alignment, just an ultimatum. We break down why core values like monogamy aren’t features to toggle, how “honesty” can still function as a test of your limits, and why leaving with clarity can be the kindest outcome for both people. Open relationships can work for those who choose them; they don’t work as surprise conversions at the edge of a proposal. We also look ahead: daily run streaks, a 200-hour yoga teacher certification for mobility and mental health, and a new children’s book project shaped by real counseling needs in Title I schools. Add in some side-eye for USPS delays and sick shoppers without masks, plus music hopes for intimate venues and fresh collaborations, and you’ve got a conversation that feels like good gumbo, comforting, layered, and honest. If you’re craving community and permission to choose yourself, press play and sit with us. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs stronger boundaries, and leave a review telling us your top goal for 2026. Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 1m
  5. Mac And Cheese Starts Fights, Chitlins End Nights

    12/21/2025

    Mac And Cheese Starts Fights, Chitlins End Nights

    Bells, games, and real talk, this one feels like the living room after dinner when the stories get louder and the truths get clearer. We start with holiday week chaos; team charcuterie, dress-up days, and a White Elephant that actually makes sense, then dig into something deeper: how to support teens and adults in crisis without slipping into fixer mode. You’ll hear practical, compassionate tips for regulating emotions, honoring agency, and spotting the moments where presence matters more than solutions. Work stress takes the mic with a stack of IEPs, lost notes, and that sinking office chair, but the remedy isn’t hustle. It’s small wins, rest you don’t have to earn, and honest check-ins about portion creep and physical therapy progress. From there, we hit the fun button: rapid-fire Black family trivia and couples’ finish-the-sentence. Expect debates over mac and cheese, the universal “we’ll see” translation, thermostat politics, and why “I’m fine” rarely means fine. It’s playful, specific, and quietly instructive about how couples communicate, how families move, and how culture shapes the punchlines. We swap the worst gift stories, defend the sacredness of leftovers, and side-eye reckless holiday drivers and break-room fish with workable fixes, lids, lemons, and a little courtesy go a long way. Then we close with what lasts: choosing rest over relentless motion, setting boundaries without apology, and being your whole self, even if your voice sounds country and your joy is loud. Faith threads it together with a reminder that life rarely follows our ideal plan, yet there are always ways and means to get through the tight spots. If this gave you a laugh, a tool, or a nudge to choose peace, tap follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review, it helps more folks find a refreshingly normal moment in their week. Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 49m
  6. Holiday Cheating, Alexa Snitches, And Family Drama

    12/14/2025

    Holiday Cheating, Alexa Snitches, And Family Drama

    Holiday cheer meets hard truths, and we’re not tiptoeing around either. We kick off with the real work of easing burnout—especially for educators—by building a simple, repeatable plan you can stick with when your brain is fried. No perfection. No spiritual gatekeeping. Just short meditations, one-minute box breathing, and the honest practice of noticing, naming, and returning. Our goal: you leave lighter, not just inspired. Then the sleigh hits black ice. We dive into holiday relationship chaos where technology becomes the unexpected truth-teller. An Alexa command labeled “slow jams for grown folks” at 2:17 a.m. exposes a lie. A copy-and-paste mishap in a family group chat detonates an affair for everyone to see. We talk boundaries for hosts, dignity for spouses, and what to do when Grandma remembers last year’s “other girl” right as the wife walks in. It’s messy, it’s human, and it raises the question: in a season built on togetherness, why do some people double down on secrets? We don’t stop there. We unpack compassionate but tough choices around pet care—when love turns into repeated, invasive procedures and what it means to honor quality of life. And we steady the room with gratitude: welcoming a new baby to the family, finishing a grueling semester, and a sharp book rec—The Book of Luke by Lavelle Holder—for fans of reality-TV scandals and smart storytelling. By the end, you’ll have a pocket plan for stress, a clearer sense of your holiday boundaries, and a few stories you’ll want to text to a friend. If you enjoy candid conversation with practical takeaways and a lot of heart, hit play, then share this with someone who needs a laugh and a reset. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what holiday boundary are you setting this year? Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 5m
  7. Holiday Boundaries, Real Talk

    12/07/2025

    Holiday Boundaries, Real Talk

    A season meant for joy can get loud with pressure, plans, and family politics—so we pulled the plug on perfection and built a holiday that actually feels good. We start with lighthearted banter about shopping days, hidden gifts, and that eternal real vs artificial tree debate, then shift into the real work of December: protecting peace, choosing boundaries, and keeping kids out of grown-up crossfire. As educators, we also unpack finals-week stress, meeting overload, and how smart scheduling beats burnout when schools and families need us most. Two listener stories anchor the conversation. The first: a mother-in-law saga where a child is sidelined during Christmas, and a parent finally draws the line. The second: an aunt who refuses to babysit a rude nephew while the child’s mom fires insults—she offers a sitter instead. We talk about marital hierarchy (your home first), receipts for accountability, and the simple rule that gets you through tricky seasons: we teach people how to treat us, then enforce it. No pettiness. Just clarity. To keep it fun, we run through holiday Would You Rather and Eliminate One: Waffle House over Chick-fil-A catering, dry chicken over fruitcake, thoughtful cheap gift over pricey miss. We map out a Cajun Christmas—seafood gumbo, Cajun pasta, fried fish, salad, yeast rolls, bread pudding with bourbon sauce, and praline pecan cheesecake—because menus become memories when they’re made with intention. Between gratitude for kids who crushed dinner duty and plans for rest, yoga, and maybe a spa day, we end where the best holidays live: simple, present, and refreshingly normal. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs boundary courage, and leave a quick review—we read every word and it helps more listeners find us. What boundary are you holding this holiday? Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 15m
  8. Holiday Road Trip, Family, And Food

    11/30/2025

    Holiday Road Trip, Family, And Food

    The rain started before sunrise and so did the stories. We drove 13 hours to Wichita for a week packed with caregiving, cooking, and a smoky casino that taught our teens more about odds than any math class. What we brought home wasn’t just leftovers, it was a sharper sense of what makes holidays work: clear boundaries, shared effort, and small rituals that outlive a single season. We get honest about hosting in a small space, why “help” that adds three babysat kids isn’t help at all, and how to say no without blowing up the family thread. In the kitchen, we found a groove cleaning as we cooked, tag-teaming the dressing, and leveling up a Costco smoked turkey with butter, seasoning, and the perfect reheat timing. Two mac and cheeses entered; the lobster mac edged out the classic for one of us, while pumpkin cheesecake started a civil war. Between bites, we talked through the pull between big gatherings and intimate moments and why rotating hosts keeps the joy intact. Nostalgia shows up too. We swap JC Penney catalog memories for the modern magic of keeping Santa believable, the value of a family-only breakfast, and the case for locking up phones so conversations can breathe. The theme underneath it all is connection: sharing recipes with the story and the tweak, not just a link, and passing down the know-how that makes food taste like home. We wrap with gratitude, finals week strategies, a budding DJ playlist, and the reminder that holidays are a practice, notice more, thank more, help more—so peace can find its way to the table. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who hosts, and leave a quick review telling us your most underrated holiday tradition. Your notes shape what we cook up next. Send us your Questions or Comments and we’ll answer them on the show. Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe. Thank you for listening!

    1h 24m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Refreshingly Normal Podcast Welcome to The Refreshingly Normal Podcast, where real life meets real laughs. We are Kēfla and Lucrecia (Cree), a married couple of 22 years, long-time educators, and now stepping into the world of mental health counseling. Think of us as your favorite Unc and Auntie of the podcast world, keeping it honest, heartfelt, and hilariously human. We’re also proud parents of twin young men who just turned 21 and are officially stepping into adulthood, which means paying their own bills (finally!). From raising kids to letting go, we’re navigating this new chapter with the same mix of love, humor, and a little side-eye. Each week, we dive into the ups and downs of parenting, love, marriage, dating, and everything in between, served with a side of humor and practical wisdom. Whether we’re sharing lessons from the classroom, stories from our travels, or awkward moments at the gym or dinner table, one thing’s for sure, we keep it refreshingly normal. So grab a cup of coffee (or a protein shake) and join the conversation. It’s therapy meets kitchen table talk… and you’re invited.

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