Soul Forge Podcast

Buy, Rent or Renovate - 307

Buy, rent or renovate....these are the options that face us today.

Shawn and Leah discuss the possibilities they have as they progress in their relationship. The upcoming week is full of adventure - Shawn is driving up north to see friends and family, while Leah is staying home to redo parts of the bathroom. Decisions for the future are looming. Shawn's building in Timmins has recently sold. This means that he is mortgage-free, and is free to buy a home in Sault Ste. Marie.

The happy couple has been looking at homes in town to see what's out there. Brand new construction versus older homes. New builds have no charm and character. Older homes may have wet basements and smell of rot. So many options and decisions.

When to buy and when to renovate

Remember the following are what to look for when buying a house or renovating your current property.

• Market environment – when you’re selling your house and looking to buy, it’s important to research what the current resale market looks like. Many market factors can impact the price of real estate and the market demand. Depending on where you are in Canada and the market conditions in that area may dictate if moving to a new property or renovating is the best solution for you,
• Overall costs – it’s important to consider the overall cost of a move and of a renovation. While renovations normally require less monetary support than purchasing property, sometimes it’s best to let the house go and move on to a new house for an exciting new adventure.  Especially if family or personal circumstances have changed that may make moving a necessity.
• Mental well-being – an unexpected aspect to consider is everyone’s well-being. House hunting is a process that can take longer than expected, so it could take a good amount of perseverance to find something that fits your standard. On the other hand, living in a house undergoing renovation can also be tiring. Either way, be sure that you’re prepared for the work ahead of you.

As with anything, buying something new to replace the old is very exciting, and houses are no exception to that idea. However, renovating brings a different kind of excitement when you see your own designs and vision become reality. Buy, rent or renovate....the choice is yours!

This week's podcast promo: Tales From Hollywoodland

Side Hustles - 306

Side hustles are an additional employment opportunity outside of a person's full-time job. They provide supplemental income. Unlike a part-time job, a side hustle commonly has more freedom and gives more control over what a person does, when they do it and how many hours they devote to it. Individuals can typically pursue a side hustle that involves their passions and talents. Some people may eventually make their side hustle their primary career.

There are many benefits of having a side hustle. Individuals typically manage the time they dedicate to their side hustle, making it easier to integrate into their existing schedule as full-time employees. By controlling their schedule, they can make their side hustle accommodate other events or commitments they have while still earning additional income. This may help them gain flexibility and maintain employment in their existing role while also pursuing their passion.

A side hustle is a way to earn extra income in addition to a full-time job. With the extra money, it might be easier to pay bills, contribute to savings or assist with other expenses. The additional income could also help make your side hustle a growing business. One advantage of a side hustle is the opportunity to pursue a career you're passionate about. Pursuing your passions as part of a side hustle might give you the opportunity to develop your side hustle into a career. You can also develop specific skills that may help make your side hustle successful.

This week's podcast promo: The Watchathon of Rassilon

Five Nights at Freddy’s - 305

Five Nights at Freddy's movie review and franchise history!

This week on the Soul Forge we talk about everything to do with Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF). We just saw the movie on opening night. Our initial thoughts and reactions, fresh from the theatre are here for you to enjoy. Also on this episode, we have a brief recap of the last week in our lives.

Shawn and Leah have been cooking. When they went to Disney World, they tried the cheeseburger spring rolls. They were delicious but expensive. After finding the recipe, they made their own version. This version was exquisite, and may be better than the official product. Additionally, they have been watching more Keeping Up Appearances and Blake's 7. You can hear their thoughts on this episode. And finally, Shawn continues his quest to modify and repaint Hot Wheels.

Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF) is a video game series and media franchise created by Scott Cawthon. The first video game was released on August 8, 2014, and the resultant series has since gained worldwide popularity.

The main series consists of nine video games taking place in locations connected to a fictional family pizza restaurant franchise named "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza", after its mascot, the animatronic bear Freddy Fazbear. In most games, the player assumes the role of a night-time employee, who must utilize tools such as security cameras, lights, doors, and vents to defend themselves against animatronic characters who inhabit the locations and become mobile and hostile at night. The series' lore is gradually revealed through voice recordings, minigames, and Easter eggs featured throughout the games.

The FNaF movie is directed by Emma Tammi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cawthon and Seth Cuddeback, from a story by Cawthon, Chris Lee Hill, and Tyler MacIntyre. The film stars Josh Hutcherson as a troubled security guard who accepts a night-time job at an abandoned restaurant. He discovers its four animatronic mascots are alive and kill anyone that is still there after midnight. Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson and Matthew Lillard appear in supporting roles. 

This week's podcast promo: Cigar Nerds

Keeping Up Appearances - 304

Keeping up appearances can be a full time job. Shawn and Leah are not trying to keep up with the Joneses. In this case, we are talking about a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke. Leah recently introduced Shawn to some of her favourite British television shows. The Keeping Up Appearances sitcom follows Hyacinth in her attempts to prove her social superiority, and to gain standing with those she considers upper class. Her attempts are constantly hampered by her lower class extended family, whom she is desperate to hide. Much of the humour comes from the conflict between Hyacinth's vision of herself and the reality of her underclass background. In each episode, she lands in a farcical situation as she battles to protect her social credibility. 

Also in this episode, Shawn and Leah discuss some recent travel. Last month saw the two of them travel to Disney World in Florida. They received some lovely feedback from a listener and discuss this. Last weekend the pair went to Saginaw, Michigan. They did a bit of shopping and tried a few stores they had never been to. Burlington Coat Factory proved a disappointment. Five Below was an interesting store with some rather unique items.

Shawn and the rest of his co-workers started new mail routes this week. Unhappy chaos at work is likely the best description. The new routes are quite a bit longer than the old ones. The first day was exhausting and nobody knew what they were doing. There is hope things will settle down soon.

Regarding Hot Wheels, Shawn is on a new path. He has been collecting for several months, but is now entering a new phase. With the purchase of an airbrush, he is looking at doing custom paint jobs. Although he has never used an airbrush before, he is very much looking forward to it.

This week's podcast promo: Monster Attack

Sex Talking - 303

Being vulnerable with your partner is fundamental to building intimacy. Communication is a wonderful way to deepen your intimate connection while building trust on the way. Communicating about vulnerable past events or disclosing something that has been weighing you down can build the skills necessary to address sensitive events in the future. Fear from not knowing how your partner will respond may stop some people from sharing things that make them feel vulnerable. But disclosing and seeing how your partner responds can help you determine if there is a long-term future with this person. If they respond dismissively and do not listen to you then that might mirror a future response pattern leading to poor relationship compatible. However, if they respond with love, comfort, and understanding your intimate connection will deepen.

On this episode of the Soul Forge Podcast, Shawn and Gaelyn get serious with sex talking. As the owner of an adult store, Gaelyn is exposed to many different questions. One of the most common is how do couples spice up their sex lives. More often than not, these couples want to bring another person into the bedroom. Gaelyn always asks these people what the ground rules for this situation are. She tells them that problems in a relationship will not be fixed by adding in another person or persons.

Communication is not confrontation. It means that you talk about things that really matter. It means that you are not afraid to say what you really think and feel and that your partner trusts you the same way.

You can communicate in many ways:

• Words (what you say and what you do not say in phone calls, in person, in writing)
• Gestures (leaning toward or turning away from your partner, nodding your head, showing that you are listening)
• Facial expressions (making eye contact, smiling, frowning, looking disgusted)
• Touch (hugs, holding hands, sexual intimacy)

Communicating does not mean that you always sit around talking about your relationship. It means that you talk about things that really matter. You should never be afraid to ask questions.

This week's podcast promo: Monkeeing Around

More Hair Naturally with Mahryah Shain - 302

Actor Mahryah Shain drops by the Soul Forge to have a chat about a few things. What are we talking about on this episode? In addition to his company More Hair Naturally, we discuss Disney theme parks, Hot Wheels, toys and mental health. But who is Mahryah Shain...

Mahryah Shain studied at University of Southern California where he completed a Bachelor's degree. In 1999, he started working as an actor, appearing in TV and short films. Through his career, Shain appeared in TV shows like The Handler, Criminal Minds, Bones and Tales. He also appeared in films like Constantine and Babysitter.

Since 2013, Shain has been working as Vice-President of Marketing and Creative Director of the brand More Hair Naturally. He is also a Freelance Graphic Designer that has worked on award season campaigns for films like Vice and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Mahryah is passionate about helping people. Although he is the man behind More Hair, he is interested in a total approach to mental health. He believes that the physical affects the mental. If you take your focus off of your body, you can focus on the world and your impact.

What is More Hair Naturally?

Their mission is to put you back in control of your hair (and life), elevating and raising your self-confidence and self-esteem to the point that you are unstoppable in achieving any goal you set out to achieve. Fighting thinning hair should not be a mystery and comfort should be taken in knowing that answers exist, are easy to understand and are within your reach.

However, it's not just about hair loss (that is just the starting point)...

It's about taking positive actions to change your life, taking actions to improve your confidence, self-esteem, and overall enjoyment in life. The stronger you are as a person, the more likely you are to make a positive impact on your friends, family, the people you encounter and the world at large.

This week's podcast promo: The Flopcast

Our First Disney Vacation - 301

Our first Disney vacation is in the books! This episode of the Soul Forge is a day by day recap of our exciting adventures. At the end of each day, Shawn and Leah sat down and recorded their memories of the excitement. Florida in September is still quite warm. Walt Disney World requires a lot of walking. Here is the story...

The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, or simply abbreviated WDW, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres (39 sq mi; 101 km²), of which half has been used. The resort comprises four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom), two water parks: (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon), 31 themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, several golf courses, a camping resort, and other entertainment venues, including the outdoor shopping center Disney Springs.

Shawn and Leah tell you about the nightmare that was getting from their Washington layover into Orlando. The weather did not cooperate so the flight was quite late. One common thing on the entire adventure was the lack of comfort in the seating, both on the jets and the buses. The humidity was off the charts. One of the best parts of our first Disney vacation was visiting with friend Jarman and his wife Jolie.

Shawn and Leah went to Icon Park where they rode the Wheel of Orlando. They also visited a wax museum and the Sea Life Aquarium. The Florida Mall still has an operating Sears store! The Disney Character Wearhouse was always busy.  The food at most places was decent.

The actual Disney part of the trip was exhausting due to so much walking and the heat. Fun parts include the ferry ride, the Skyliner, Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. The 50s Prime Time Cafe had wonderful food and ambience. We enjoyed Soarin' as well as Mickey's Runaway Railway rides. We got to see dolphins, lizards, manatees and a hammerhead shark. We were disappointed in Woody's Roundup BBQ and the lack of a direct route to Hollywood Springs from our hotel. Getting the park hopper option is a definite must. The Epcot food and wine festival was the favourite part of our first Disney vacation.

This week's podcast promos: Earth Station One, Earth Station Who, Epsilon Three, and the ESO Patreon promo.

The Adventure Challenge - 300

The adventure challenge brings couples closer together. Shawn and Leah just celebrated their birthdays and the adventures are just beginning!

Episode 300 is a huge milestone in podcasting. On this episode, Shawn and Leah talk about travel, growing closer and buying some cool stuff. Leah tells Shawn that since they became a couple, she has listened to many Soul Forge episodes. She has learned a lot of things that she would not have thought to ask. Although Shawn's brother said he should scrap the podcast and delete all the episodes, no harm has come to him from keeping the show going!

Birthdays can be great fun. While preparing for a weekend adventure, Shawn went to Dollarama to get snacks. While checking the pegs for Hot Wheels, he found his first Super Treasure Hunt. These are elusive special editions. This leads to a discussion on northern Ontario and the low stock at most stores. There are few decent buying options in the area.

What were the birthday gifts? Leah got a couple of Funko Pops featuring Walt Disney from Shawn. She also received a Tanzanite pendant. Shawn got a Star Trek Hallmark ornament. He also got the Adventure Challenge Couple's Edition book set. 50 Scratch-Off Adventures! There are 50 challenges that range from $0-$50, but they can all be modified to fit within your budget.

Finally, it's all about Disney and Orlando. Leah got herself the LEGO Disney Camera. 811 pieces of fun. That is just the icing on the cake. In the coming week, Shawn and Leah are going to Disney in Florida. They are looking forward to getting away as a couple. They will meet up with Jarman and his wife. Jarman is the narrator of the Soul Forge introduction.

Leah is a travel agent. You can book her services at www.freetotravel.centreholidays.com

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Trek