May 28, 2013

My Top Five Podcasts

What if I told you that sometimes I look forward to deep cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing the bathroom, and weeding the garden?

It’s true, but only because I trick myself into loving those chores.

While my hands are busy working at something they can do by rote, my mind craves a challenge. Listening to a good podcast makes all the difference.

My iPhone has greeted and deleted a slew of different podcast subscriptions. I currently subscribe to twenty separate podcasts, but there are only a few for which I most impatiently await new episodes. 

Here are my top five favorite podcasts.


Simple Mom
(Recently Re-named The Art of Simple)


Don’t let the name fool you. Featuring Tsh of the Simple Mom blog and a different co-host each week, this podcast isn’t all about parenting. It’s a fun conversation about living intentionally, writing, personality, working from home, books, music— anything you’d chat about with a friend over coffee. Since I usually can’t chat with a friend over coffee while I’m scrubbing the toilet, I’ll happily listen in on Tsh’s conversations with her fellow bloggers.



RadioLab


In each episode of this podcast, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich introduce several fascinating stories from the world of science, all surrounding a common theme. The information is captivating. The production quality is phenomenal. You don’t have to be a Chemistry major to learn a lot from this podcast. If you’re curious about the world around you, you’ll love it.





A Way with Words


Admittedly a production for nerds, each week this podcast features callers who ask questions about the etymology or proper usage of unique words and phrases. The two co-hosts, Martha and Grant, are engaging. They make great fun out of what could be very dry information, even for an English major. I especially enjoy the quiz portion of each episode, in which I get to play along with the hosts at a quirky new word game.



The Wellness Guys






I’m newer to this one, so I’m currently working my way through the archives. In each episode, the three “Wellness Guys,” all Australian chiropractors, discuss nutrition, exercise, managing stress, and other wellness topics. They take a holistic approach to feeling your best. The Australian accents don’t hurt, either.





The Truth


With the tagline, “Movies for your Ears,” this one is pretty straightforward. Its short episodes consist of contemporary audio drama, expertly produced and nothing at all like your grandparents’ radio drama. It will entertain you. It will make you think. I would also note that some of the action is quite intense, with convincing sound effects; this might not be the audio drama to share with your children unless you've listened to it first.




I subscribe and listen to all of these through Apple’s “Podcasts” app on my iPhone. New episodes automatically appear in my subscription list.


I hope one of these podcasters releases a new episode soon. There are dishes in my sink. 

1 comment:

  1. Simple Mom is one of my favorite podcasts as well! I often wash my floors while listening to it and love every minute. I'm new to all the others but they sound good, I'll have to download them and give them a whirl.
    A Way with Words sounds especially interesting. *nerd alert* =)

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