Life with Nat - EP95: Nat's Chats #1

Episode Date: March 10, 2025

Nat's flying solo, it's about time! X Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view INSTA: @natcass1 We're also on Facebook now too: https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] SHOW INFO: Life with Nat - it’s me! Natalie Cassidy and I’ll be chatting away to family, friends and most importantly YOU. I want to pick people's brains on the subjects that I care about- whether that’s where all the odd socks go, weight and food or kids on phones. Each week I will be letting you into my life as i chat about my week, share my thoughts on the mundane happenings as well as the serious. I have grown up in the public eye and have never changed because of it. Life with Nat is the podcast for proper people. Come join the community. ♥️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I've got this condition where I don't feel pain. You're a superhero. If this is how intense Nova Kane sounds, imagine how it looks. Sam Orr? Yeah, big time. Nova Kane. Well, well, well, it's time to do a solo episode. No more mucking around. Stop being stupid. I don't know why I'm nervous, but I am. It is weird sitting on your own and talking, but I know that you're all listening, so that's good.

I sent out a little message this morning for questions or anyone who wants to have a little nag on the pod, and there's loads of you. So I'm going to phone a few people in a little while. But I thought we'd start with a question that comes up often and something that I don't really talk about and that is bringing up the girls and a lot of people have said they love listening to my girls and they're really polite and that I'm doing a good job. Let me tell you something. Joanie will be nine in August and over the last week something has changed. She's very argumentative, very, very moody. And last night she decided to get a pair of scissors and cut her favorite trousers, just a little slit in them. Firstly, I was annoyed because she had scissors without me,

which isn't very good. And then she cut a hole in the back of her trousers on her bottom and then proceeded to come into the kitchen screaming, these are my favourite trousers, these are my favourite trousers, for about 15 minutes. And I was ironing and I was very calm. And I just said, Joni, I've not done it. I don't know why you're shouting at me.

And she just kept going on and on. These are my favorite trousers. She chucked a load of ironing on the floor, like proper, a really bad tantrum. And there's been a couple of other things this week that haven't been very good. So I decided to have a look at why my eight-year-old is having a meltdown as you do on Google. And it is when hormones start to kick in. They can kick in between six and eight, the beginnings of it. And I really feel like this because when they're eight, they're a big kid. So they want to dominate, they want to test you, they're quite moody,

but at the same time they're still little and want the cuddles. So I'm finding this week quite stressful actually, and I wanted you to know that because things ain't perfect, I can assure you. So yeah, that's Joni and we're going through a little bit of a time, as much as she's lovely Well book day in our school tomorrow Friday. Don't know why they didn't do it today when I'm recording this. Yeah, they're doing it tomorrow She's going as a giant crayon. I got it off of Amazon It's got a hat triangular hat and then the Crayola crayon sort of Outfit which you'll wear white trousers and a white top underneath.

She's screaming this morning, make sure you iron it, make sure you iron it. I said, I will iron it. I will. But I do feel like Eliza now will be 15 in September. And she's only like that for a couple of days a month. Last week she wanted to argue over anything so I don't say anything. I pick my battles and I don't say a word. She's as good as gold now. So I feel like she is coming through it and being really, really good and the other one's starting. So I'm sorry about that. I can't dress it up. Parenting is really, really hard, really hard. I also had a message because I mentioned that Eliza has gone onto Instagram now

and it's all private. It's a teen setting and I actually have her account on my phone. But I do want to stress the importance of being on top of that. I checked it this morning. I look at who she's following. I look at her feed for a bit. It's a good feed actually. Sort of rollers hair, bit of make up.

Things that I don't follow. It's funny isn't it what comes up on our feeds. But at the moment there doesn't seem to be anything damaging there. It's very early days. But yeah, I didn't want to be anything damaging there. It's very early days. But yeah, I didn't want to give it to her. But it's really, really difficult to not give in. And I'm not one for following the crowd. And I've said no for a very long time. But it's even done to things like school pages are on there. She's sort of missing things. It's really difficult to take yourself out of that world of social media when even schools are kind

of on there and pages and the way she can connect with people and comment and see what's going on. So it is quite difficult, but I do feel that I've let her not have it for such a long time that she understands how I feel about it and that she'll respect it and I tell you now as soon as she doesn't respect it I said to her it won't just be the Instagram page going off the whole phone will go so I am very very strict like that so let's see how that goes but yeah it is a worry you do have to keep on top of it you know comments can come up that are unkind,

bullying can start there. There are some awful things that go on. But yeah, we need to just encourage our children to be kind, follow people that they like and know, and not worry about things like likes and things like that. It's really difficult. And I said to her, it's another job, because I find my phone a job.

It's like a thing that you have to do, be it Instagram, Facebook. It's another thing that takes up time and I don't want to run it all the time, but she is a good girl, so that's her. Right then, that's that. Lots of people are asking about EastEnders leaving, my new book that's coming out, how I'm feeling this week being off and free. I'm feeling bloody good. I'm not hanging about. I'm not just sitting around, lazing around. I've had quite a lot to do this week. Next week's really busy. I've got some meetings with different people to talk about projects.

You know, nothing set in stone, but in my industry, you go and meet people and have a little chat about ideas and stuff like that, which is really nice. I've got Joni's parents' evening next week, so straight away, I said, oh no, can't do anything that day because I'm busy. And that feels really, really good. So I just feel a little bit more in control of my own life, which is really, really nice. And yeah, it's just an exciting time. The person I'm about to phone is called Lee. He is El's bells from that's nice his mate from Wales. And he's quite hilarious. And his nan has gone viral on TikTok.

So let's find out all about it. Hello. Oh, hello my love. Hello. How are you? I'm good. Well, this is funny. I've not spoken to you for so long.

What the hell has been going on? For so long. Well this is funny. I've not spoke to you for so long. What the hell has been going on? For so long. Well, lots has changed. Lots has changed since the last time I saw you. Well, it was a long time ago. Yeah, yeah. But I said to Els, I just phoned Els and I said, oh, Lee's messaged. I said, I think I'm going to give him a rig. And she was like, that is hilarious. He's going to love that. So you're on the pod and I want to know about your nan.

Wow. It's just been a bit bonkers, really. I started my TikTok. Yeah. I wasn't really a TikTokker. It's probably been the last probably six months, really, that I've really gone where people are going down in these TikTok holes. Yeah. I don't get it. I'm on there, Lee. I need to start posting on there

because it's good for work and stuff, but I just don't really get how to do it. I mean, I like Instagram, it's simple for me. Yeah, yeah. But there you go, I've got to get on there. But what I will say for TikTok, I think people are much kinder on TikTok than they are on Instagram and Facebook.

That's my opinion since putting my nan out there. Oh that's interesting. Yeah and there's not very many negative comments towards my nan and like because she does use foul language. I say she's got a bit of a potty mouth. So she's had a brain scan, we suspected that she's suffering from a little bit of early onset dementia. Okay I'm sorry. So we took her, that's fine. We kind of knew it anyway. I said, oh, Nana, you don't need a doctor to tell you that.

I can tell you that kind of thing. So anyway, she had the scan in January, and then we'd just been waiting and waiting, waiting for this appointment to come through for the result. And that morning that we went for the results, she was given her dementia diagnosis and whatever. Oh, bless her. And then she said to me, oh, I think I fancy her fish and chips now, she said, after all that.

She said, yeah, no problem, so I took her to the chip shop. And she said to me, I only want a pensioner's portion because I won't eat at all. Fair enough, they are massive. Yeah, and I didn't know that pensioners portion was a thing and I said, is it a thing? Now are you making this up? She said, no, if you ask them for a pensioners portion, they'll give you a pensioners portion.

So I went into the chip shop and I kind of know the girls because we live in a small valley town in South Wales. So I kind of know the girls. And I said, my nan has asked for a pensioners portion. Don't know if she's, you know, having me on, but oh no, she said this is basically a cone of chips and a piece of fish. Anyway, spoke to the girls behind the counter

and told her about my Nan's dementia, diagnosis, blah, blah, blah. And they said, oh, we'll give it a big piece of fish. I said, all right, okay. So off we go and we get up to my Nan's house. I kind of knew there was gonna be a reaction because she'd asked me for the pensions portion, but I could see the size of this fish.

I knew there would be a bit of a reaction and I'm always filming my own amusements really, she's very dry, very funny. She opened the paper of the fish and chips and then she said Jesus Christ I could get on the back of that and go for a swim. I think she said an F word in there somewhere so I think it was a bit more worse than what I just said. So it was really really funny and I posted on my own personal Instagram and the amount of people that have reacted to this video that I'd never really interacted with before. Like just random people.

Yes. They don't really speak to me. And they've even come forward and said how funny it was and whatever. And my partner said to me, you need to get that on TikTok because that's going to go viral. And I was like, right, OK. But I only started my TikTok about, I don't know, about a year, maybe six months within this last year

or something. Because my daughter rides ponies and stuff. And I'm really, really proud of her. And I've just been posting videos of her doing the odd jump and the odd thing on the pony and the odd gallop and whatever. So that was literally all my TikTok was, was her on her pony.

And then I posted my nan's video on there. And then all of a sudden it seemed like my phone was going, ding, ding, ding. And it was just going off. Turn the notifications off, man. Yeah. You can't have it. I said to my boyfriend, I said, oh my God,

I said, it's like got a thousand views. And he was like, wow. And that was in within like the first couple of minutes. Yes. And then it just kept growing and growing and growing. And it's on five million now. It's on five million point four. And what is the name of this TikTok?

So everyone can have a look at it. It is our underscore Nana underscore Molly. Brilliant and it is Molly is it? Well can I just say Molly sounds like a champion and it is such a hard diagnosis to get. And obviously I ran the marathon and I did it for OutSiamers UK and we did the Dementia Revolution. So it is close to my heart with Barbara Windsor and everything and Scott. Yeah, definitely. She's spoken about her this week, funny. Oh, did she? Bless her.

With the Biggie Stender's hype over the last couple of weeks. Yes. I think she's gone, she's now watching stuff like the pattern, Peggy kind of. Yes, yeah. She's gone back a little bit to watch all that kind of thing. Oh, bless her. And she's talking about Barbara and her diagnosis and stuff. But I think with my Nan, after having the scan scan she was just living in limbo a little bit not knowing whether it was

something and I think she was more, she was frightened as well, it could be a lot worse, the big C maybe in the brain and things like that, it was making her a bit forgetful and whatever. So she did say after she'd had the diagnosis that she felt a little bit better for knowing. Yeah that's really good. Because it was like living in the unknown. Of course. And as a family we've kind of said you know like we're not gonna dwell on it we're gonna kind of like make light of situations and really like start I know we're all guilty of it and being busy and working and things but like really try and make a conscious effort to make memories now that we've got a with us kind of thing in this world. Yeah absolutely. Oh bless you. Oh Lee, well listen it's so lovely to talk to you.

And you and um. I'm sure we'll catch up at some point. Listen we should catch up at some point. Yeah definitely. Thanks for ringing. I'm really chuffed. Oh it's lovely. Don't be silly. And I can't wait to tell my mom. Tell your mom and tell Molly, tell your nana. And that is a brilliant story, I love it. And Lee, so lovely to talk to you.

Yeah, and you love. Take care, love. See you later, bye. Oh, bless him. It's such a difficult thing, isn't it? Alzheimer's, dementia. It's huge, quite unspoken about. Scott Mitchell, who is my agent and dear friend, does so, so much for it, championing it. For anyone

who is going through that with a relative or going through it yourself, I hope you're okay and things are being done all the time. medicines are being made, research is going into it and please God at some point they'll find a cure for it. Right, on to the next thing. Oh, I've just had a message from Kara who is my seed lady. You know we want to do some flowers, some planting, some seeds. I just had a message to say, she's got to confirm with me, but hopefully we are going to do some seeds on Wednesday. Go to the garden centre, buy some stuff and what

I'm going to do is do the pod with Cara talking about everything and then I'm going to post all the seeds we buy and when we're going to plant them so you can do it too. And then we can share pictures, tips, how we're feeling about it all and it'll be lovely, just a little regular thing. Once every couple of weeks we can check in and I'll have the pictures, I can post them on Instagram and it's just another little bonus to our little community that we have. Instagram and it's just another little bonus to our little community that we have. I might give Mark a quick call because I just want to check what he's doing later. No, he's working. He said if you're doing a solo pod you can ring me. I've got 20 minutes and I think I'm over it now. Oh, bless him.

Nevermind. The weather has been so beautiful. I am recording this, as I said, on World Book Day, the 6th of March. I hear that next week's gonna be freezing. So when this comes out Monday, I hope I'm wrong. A bit like Michael Fish was with the hurricane, do you remember, back in the late 80s. But I think it's gonna be a bit cold.

Not time yet, it's not time to pack those winter clothes away. I had a little sort out of the wardrobe, my best mate Sophie came round and I gave her a load of stuff because I don't need it and I've worn it loads and I feel like a bit of a change and I like to do charity shop, give clothes to friends and I said to her, you're not going to want it all, but you can have it, you can give it to a mate, pass it on, recycle, which is really, really good.

But I do want to sort my wardrobes out and I know Maria and Ellie are not here to have a go at me, but they do need sorting out. Not as much as Maria goes on about it, but I would like to get everything in order, colour coordinated, that sort of thing. I've had a voice note actually off of a girl who does decluttering and I'm going to try and find her because we could give her a call, couldn't we? About the wardrobes, that'd be good. At Kate loves to organise is her handle and I'm gonna call her. Hello? Hello Kate. Hi, hi Nat, how are you? I'm alright, how are you darling? Yeah, yeah, good, thank you. I was just babbling away on my own,

which is rather nerve wracking, but I mentioned my best mate Sophie came round on Monday for a cup of tea and I gave her lots of stuff out the wardrobe, stuff that I like, but stuff that I've worn a lot. So I just thought I'm gonna get it away. I'm just not, I'm not even gonna think about it. I don't need these items and the wardrobe is still bulging. So I've said to everybody on here that you have given the handle. Kate loves to

organize and I thought we could have a little chat about decluttering. Yeah brilliant. So what would you recommend with the wardrobe? Because mine's still bulging, even though I've had a clear out. OK, so when it comes to sort of wardrobes, well, in any decluttering, actually, the first thing you've got to do is get it all out. And that's the most painful part for people generally, because that's a bit where they get overwhelmed. But you need to get it all out and categorise it.

You know, put your jumpers together, your dresses together and if you've got a very very big wardrobe then it's good to do just one category at a time. Okay. So then you don't get overwhelmed. It's really difficult to make decisions on what we've got unless we can really see everything because we sort of can lie to ourselves and say, you know, I haven't got that much or if things are tucked away, you're going to forget about them. So you have to get it all out. And then if you lay it all out nicely, and then you can sort of make better decisions, you might find that you've got loads of black tops that look quite similar. You might find that you've got things that you always reach for over other things.

that you always reach for over other things. What would you say to that though? Would you keep something that you always reach for or would you be brave and then get rid of that so you wear other things? I think if you love it and you feel great in it and you always reach for it, there's a reason for that. So I definitely keep those items that you really love. Okay.

There's often stuff, especially for us women, we sort of hang on to as sort of, you know, we're gonna shrink into that. Yeah, there's always a few different sizes, aren't there, in the wardrobe? Yeah, and we sort of use them as a stick to beat ourselves with a little bit. So we keep them, you know, thinking, oh, you know, I'm going to get into that at some point. That's my motivation. Sometimes that isn't really very good motivation because it sort of just makes us feel crap. Yeah, you're right.

It is quite... Yeah, I've got a pair of jeans at the moment and I've put them on and they fit, but they're very, very tight. And I'm doing just that. I'm thinking, well, no, I'm going to keep those. You know when the pockets bulge and they're just not quite right, but I don't think it's sort of that far away. But then I feel really happy so I don't want to stress about it. So I know what you mean.

Yeah and sometimes it's like it's nice to get rid of the stuff that doesn't make you feel great. And then you know if you do then go on a bit of exercise mission and you lose a bit of weight or you know you change shape whatever you can then go and buy yourself something new that you really love that fits you really well and that can be your motivation rather than hanging on to the old stuff. Yeah, no, I think that's a really good idea. It's just the thought, isn't it, sometimes of getting it all out? Yeah, yeah, and that is the sort of bit that I, you know, that's why my business is there

really because that overwhelm of getting it all out can be a bit much. Yeah, I do it with the clients and you get it all out and often people go, I've forgotten I had that or I can't believe I've kept that or things that as you say, like if you've got a big bulging wardrobe, you can't see the stuff that you would like to wear because it's just the amount of people that say, I haven't got anything to wear. And then you go and pull everything out of their wardrobe and you think, oh, no, I've got all these great things.

I just can't see them. So yeah, that's very much sort of, I hold the hand and do sort of the coaching part. Oh, it's brilliant. How long have you been doing it, Kate? It's a great thing to do. Yeah, I started it in 2020. Yeah, brilliant. Going into year five now. I love it, I absolutely adore it. It's just such a passion for me.

That's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Whereabouts are you based? Chilternham and I cover the Cotswolds. Oh, how lovely. How lovely, not near me. You're definitely part of the world. That's a shame. Could have got you over. No, but I can travel. Oh, it's a long way to travel. It's a shame. Could have got you over. No, but I can travel. It's a long way to travel.

It's a long way to travel and it's much prettier where you are. It's very beautiful here, yeah. Very lucky. What's your favorite decluttering room? Have you got one? What's your favorite? I do like working with women in their rooms. I really like being able to create like a little sanctuary, you know,

and having the bedroom be somewhere that is calm and orderly and just somewhere where you can get up in the morning, feel, you know, get out there with that and to push stuff off the chairs and, you know, wade your way through the, you know, through the hallway, whatever, and having a wardrobe that's really nice to get dressed from. And so that's a really good start to the day. So I think I do like, I mean, I love a kitchen. Kitchen's generally quite a big job. And I really like doing kitchens. But I think bedrooms are probably the top, top room for me. Oh, that is marvelous. Well, Kate, I can't thank you enough for messaging me. That's okay. Thank you for messaging me back. Thank you for listening to the pod.

Yeah, I love it. It's great. It's really nice to listen to you and yeah, I should continue to do so. Thanks so much, Kate. Have a lovely day. Thank you. Cheers. See you too. See you, darling. Bye. Bye.

She was nice. I bet her house is immaculate. People say I sound really clean and really tidy. I am in some ways, but then if you open things, it is like hell on earth. All my drawers, all my stuff. I had a fantastic lady come over, a decluttering lady. She was brilliant. And she says, I'll pop back, you know, in a month or so and I thought, I don't need that. It's gonna stay like this. Does it? No, it does not. Everything is everywhere. I need to get her back actually. Lauren. Lauren is her name and it's the perfect space. But she was really lovely and very good. I think for me, I found it really good,

but it wasn't life-changing. And someone, a friend of mine recommended her and he said it was life-changing for him. But I think for me, I'd kinda like to get to grips with it myself. I'm a bit of a control freak, that is the problem. But yeah, everything needs doing, but I'm not going to stress about it. I need to enjoy having a little bit of time, a little bit of space.

I cooked a lasagna yesterday, I had my radio on, all from scratch. And it sounds so stupid, but I haven't been at home to cook at all. So I just loved the fact that I was at home cooking a meal for the family. Do you know what happened? Served up the lasagna. The girls hated it. I said, what is wrong with it? And then I had a taste and it was a little bit, I didn't feel it. It didn't have a lot of taste.

Don't know what it was. It wasn't like Elia or Maria's, put it that way,'t feel it. It didn't have a lot of taste. I don't know what it was. It wasn't like Elia or Maria's, put it that way, or Linda's. So it's hard to make a lasagna when you have these Italians in your life. But it was all right. Mark really enjoyed it. I had it. I enjoyed it. Put a bit of salt on it, a bit of parmesan, add it with a bit of salad, frozen a couple of bits. But yeah, the kids didn't enjoy it. And when you've slaved for a couple of hours over something, that is always very demoralizing. Anyway there you go. Everybody has been mentioning my hair. Thank you so so much. I love it. The lady who did it, Linda, has just messaged me. Hi darling just wanted to check in on how

you're getting on with your extensions after washing it sec. Have you had a colour fade? Don't know Lynne to be honest. I've washed it. Seems alright to me but I'm not very good at hair. I'll just let other people do it for me. It'll be fine. Bless her though for messaging. Let's have a little look. I've had so many messages, I can't believe this. Oh no, Kirsty, my signal is going in and out, so I might not be able to answer. Maybe we can chat next time. Gutted, but I don't want to waste your time. She said, hi now, I'm always up for a chat. I'm just sat in the car, trapped with my eight month year old in the back, dressed as an elephant for World Book Day at Baby Sensory. You want to see

this child dressed as an elephant? It must be so aggravating on her head. I'll post it. I'll ask her first. She might not want her child on my Instagram, but it is gorgeous. Should we phone her and see in case she's got any signal? BEEP BEEP BEEP Well it's ringing, hang on. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP Oh no.

BEEP BEEP BEEP I did want to ask her what possessed her to dress her baby up as an elephant. Oh, I'll send her a voice note. Hi Kirsty, I hope you're alright darling, I have tried to call you but I'm going to have to move on. Gutted, but the baby does look amazing. I just really wanted to ask you what possessed you to dress her up as an elephant. So you could send me a voice note if you like. Cheers. It really is like having mates. I could message you all all the time, but I cannot do that in my life. But this is lovely. It's like

a little catch up bit of admin. Let's see what else we've got. Catherine. Oh, lovely Catherine from Rugger Robe. Catherine does these Rugger Robes. They're a bit like a dry robe really, but she sent me one. It's orange. You might have seen it on my Instagram. It's camouflage with orange inside. It's a lovely coat, but she just said, Hi Nat, love your podcast. Just wondering how you juggle it all. I'm a small business owner, mum of three boys and of a certain age and feel like I'm drowning. I feel like balls are constantly dropping and yet you seem to manage it all.

That's my question from Catherine. Oh, let's phone her. She's probably too busy. We can't have her drowning. Let's have a chat with her. Her boys are amazing on her WhatsApp photo. All their hair down, all very smart. Hello.

Hello, Catherine. Hello, how are you? You're on the pod. Oh my God, OK. I'll behave. I had to phone because I just said, I'm going to ring you because I read out your message and the boys in your WhatsApp picture are absolutely beautiful. They're all smart. They've

all got their hair done. What are you talking about? You're drowning. Looks like you're doing a fantastic job to me. I don't know. I think Instagram just gives you this impression that everybody... Oh, here we go. Who are you following on there? Oh, everybody. Well, everybody. I think on some days you just feel like you're drowning yourself. I don't know. I just think maybe we should... I think, Catherine, I tell you what, I tell you what. You need to have a little look at your feed and anything that makes you feel like shit, just block it.

Is that the way you do it? I'm telling you, just block it. I haven't got anything on my feed where I think I've got FOMO or I wish I was doing that, although I am a bit like that. So you might be more sensitive. There are a lot of people who do, you know, wish to be like others or feel like they're failing. And it may be, it isn't for you.

Maybe you should just follow a little bit of cooking, a few recipes. Yeah, I think I wasn't on it before, but with work, you've got to be there. You've got to be present with your business, haven't you? You have, and I've just mentioned Rugger Rope. I've just said that you sent me that beautiful coat, and it's a lovely business.

At Rugger Robe, R-U-G-G-A-R-O-B-E. No, they're lovely coats, aren't they? They're lovely. Thank you, thank you. I just think, as a mom, it all falls to you as well, and I know you shouldn't, and my husband is very good, and he's supportive of the business. Yes.

But just sometimes you're a bit like that, and I thought, and even yourself, I know you're very honest about it, but you seem to have a great career and you've got the family life sort of thing. I know, but listen, I am very lucky. I'm fortunate in a way. Well, listen, I'm unfortunate in some ways. I know a lot of people who use their mum and their mother-in-law live around the corner and all their childcare

is done for free. Do you know what I mean? They go to work, the nans have the kids, the granddads have the kids. I see it up the school. There are a lot of mums that are at home because they don't need to work, what have you. So in that way, I haven't got my mum. I lost my mum at 19. And Mark's mum, Jackie, she lives in Kent. So she's brilliant. She'll come over when I ask, but she can't be here all the time. But I am fortunate enough. Obviously, I pay for my childcare and I have a nanny and she's brilliant. But you know, I do pay for it. Yeah, yeah. I say I'm lucky, I'm not really. I'm paying for a service, you know, and that's what I get. But I think in terms of not drowning, I think we all have days where we feel, I mean, I think last week I woke up and I thought, everything

was on top of me, I just thought the house is shit hole, the kids are moody, I'm leaving work, am I doing the right thing? You know, you just have a day, don't you, of negativity. Yeah, you do. You have a wobbles day and then that's why it's good to watch your podcast and it cheers you up and also there's similar people and similar boats and we're all yeah it's just we're all doing our best Catherine yeah I think that's what it is and and I wish I wish in some way social media wasn't around because I think it's nice to go back to the good old days but that's maybe showing my age I know what you mean. I think our kids aren't going to grow up in that, are they? And what is normality for them?

I'll tell you what isn't normality for them. Do you remember when your mate used to knock and say, oh, is she coming out? Are you coming out? I know. Wasn't that great? I know. My mum and dad used to say, no, no, no. Sometimes you didn't want to go and you were hiding under the kitchen table. Yeah.

We were talking about this. We've got a plumber in at the moment. Yeah. And I was saying, he was watching my kids and I was saying, right, time to put the computers away now. Stick them away. I've had enough. Yeah. And then whatever device they were on. Yeah. And he said, oh, these kids. And I said, yeah, I grew up in an era where they didn't exist. We had Tempe sewn into my school skirt.

And if there was ever an emergency, you had that Tempe to ring home. I think it has changed, doesn't it? It's changed a lot. In our generation, I think the most. Do you know what I mean? Yes, yeah, I don't think, yeah. I don't understand where it's going.

Yeah. Yeah. And we're trying to keep up, aren't we? How are the boys with, how old are the boys? 13, 11 and eight. How's that going? So, yeah, they're good. They've had World Book Day today.

So they've gone in. This is really weird, Catherine. My school, Joni's school, is doing it tomorrow. Oh, they're giving everyone an extra day. But why are they not doing it on World Book Day? It's weird. Anyway, what have they gone as? I don't know, they give you an extra day to get the uniform.

Well, they decided a theme at our school, so they're all Willy Wonka. Ah, lovely. You say that, but mine decided they didn't want to be on Palumpas, which I could have just gone and got from Tesco, say any of the supermarkets, should I, and it would have been an easier option but they decided they wanted to be sweets so yeah there's a bit of cobbling together. I think the reason was because they wanted to hand out sweets so they thought if they could go with sweets they could give sweets out and that meant they got sweets or something. So my middle one's gone as, Harry's gone as popcorn. Right, how did you do that?

A box, one of my Ruggeroad boxes. So I just converted it into a popcorn box. Perfect. And then I've got a hat on and stuck popcorn all over it and then put in a factory escapee from the factory. It's a tenuous link isn't it? I'll tell you something. from the factory. It's a tenuous link isn't it? I'm telling you now if you feel like you are failing yet you have stuck popcorn on a hat and done something with a box you've done a lot more than I have. That's all I'm going to say. It was 11 o'clock at night when I was cursing everything. Why didn't I just send them as umpulumpas anyway? Joan is going

as a crayon. One with a popcorn. That's good from there. Well, I'm not doing it. From the book. Amazon love. You found it. I know. Amazon. I couldn't find it. What we wanted. The little one went as a candy cane and I found that.

I found that off Timo. So I was like brilliant. That sort of helped. Oh, that's good. Also, you could get that out at Christmas as well. Yes. Couldn't you? Yes that out at Christmas as well. Yes, yes. Couldn't you? I like that.

Reuse. If that's popping out as a reusable one, I think the popcorn might have fallen apart by the end of the day. Oh, absolutely. Or been eaten off the hat. I did mention on the way in, don't let the kids eat it. I've used glue. It's relatively safe glue. And we didn't put

our hands in. We forgot to put our arms in. So that was a little bit of an issue with the school bag. The school bag. And they'll love it today. I'm sorry I can't do any work. I'm a popcorn box. He can't sit down. I didn't think about the practicalities of it. But he's gone. I've gone and done my job. There was a fator at the school gate and he's gone in I went straight on to zoom at night thinking tick tick box ticked. Oh well done you. They are good they're the ones that keep us going up. They sure are. And they they're my little models as well. Oh bless them honestly they

look absolutely spick and span they're gorgeous so listen be proud and don't feel bad. Thank you for ringing me. That's alright I wanted to ring you good luck with everything and keep in touch. We keep in touch anyway on Instagram don't we? So there we go. Yeah thanks Nat take care then. Bye love bye. Take care bye.

Oh she's lovely. Isn't it funny how Instagram can affect people or social media? I know we're going back to it again but but if it does, if it does make you feel like shit, how can that woman feel like she's drowning when she's done loads of costumes for her three children and she runs a business? It's incredible. Probably because she's seen some, I don't know, country house with three children outside, immaculately dressed, standing in front of a pony and the mums got all her hair done and a pair of high heels on don't worry about it fuck off Lynn from Lee on Sea has written in hi now I absolutely love your pod you are a

breath of fresh air just wanted to say now you have more free time, El's was completely right, just be careful to make sure you allow time to just be for you and the family. Very excited to see that you've also written a book. My question is, do you get offered opportunities that you think no this is not right for me and who I am or because you're very brilliant at manifesting, I don't know about that, do you think, no, this may not be for me, but it may then lead me to a perfect opportunity? How do you choose? Love watching from afar and also love Kirsty Gallagher and have all her books. Take care, lovely lady. Well, that's really brilliant, Lynne. Thank you. What I would say about that is, yeah, I get different opportunities come in.

Some I know immediately that I don't want, just not for me. Others I have a little think about and think it's worth a Zoom call, it's worth a chat because it's good to meet people. But actually I know that I don't want this opportunity they're offering, but it's good to get in the room with people and have a little chat. Because I always think once you're in front of someone and you're chatting to them and they get to see the social element of you and get to see you, other opportunities can arise. And then yes, I definitely take on jobs, which I think may lead to other things as well,

but I do have to want to do stuff. I don't do anything where I think, oh, I don't want to do it. As soon as that's in my head or my gut, I turn it down. So I hope that answers your question. And yeah, of course I need to make time for me and the family and I am. I am. But it is difficult. You can't sort of sit back on your laurels. You've got to keep earning money and you've got to keep out there. But thank you for your message. That was so lovely. Right. Let's have a look at some more. What's Claire got to say? Hi Nat, my name's Claire and I live in West Sussex.

I'm basically wondering what you think about being 42, nearly 43, that's me, and wanting to change my career basically, or even should I say start a career. So I've got four kids. I've been working in a hospice for the last two years as a nursing assistant. Obviously seen some really sad times there, but I really, really want to do my nursing. Am I too old or do I just go for it?

I'm really stuck with this. Kids are getting older now. I'm able to have some more time to myself. What do you think? Let me know. Love the pod. I've already listened to Nat's nieces this morning while doing my dinner prep for tonight. And yeah, speak to you soon. Bye. Well, I'll tell you what I think.

I think you're an angel. And I think you should do your nursing. You're not too old. 42, nearly 43 is not old. I'm 41, nearly 42. We are young women and if the kids don't need you as much anymore because they're a little bit, you know, not as reliant on you and you feel like you can get out and do it. It sounds like you want to do it. So I am telling you now, do that nursing and keep in touch with me. And you worked at a hospice for two years, you're an angel. So that's my advice to you. Do your nursing course. I think it's brilliant. You hear it a lot, don't you? People's children grow up and

then they're at that, not empty nesting stage, it's just a change where you think, right, I've got a bit more time on my hands, what can I do? Some people go travelling, some people start a business, some people, I don't know, just lots of change in people's lives. I think it's lovely that there are different stages of your life and you've got to go with it because we're only here once. So I think if you've got anything niggling, anything in your head that keeps recurring, be that you're not happy in your relationship, that you're not happy at work, anything that niggles, sort it out. Listen to me like Claire Rayner. Lily sent me a message. She said, you have been in the public eye for a long time.

What do you miss most about anonymity? Oh, fucker now. Anonymity. What are some challenges or adjustments you had to overcome in regards to this? If you could be anonymous for a day, what would you do? Have a great day. Love the podcast. Great question.

First things first. I can't remember being anonymous because I was 10. I genuinely, I have, I have memories before 10 of being in the garden, playing with my family, but I don't have any sort of recollection of going out and about and not being recognized. I think it's just part of my DNA now, but I don't mind it at all. You don't miss what you haven't had, I suppose. But if I was anonymous for a day, yeah, I think I might go wild. No, I wouldn't really. I don't want to be anonymous. I'm very happy being known, very happy talking to people in the street. It's lovely to see people smile, have a selfie

with them, have a chat with them. I'm very fortunate. I don't really get any rubbish. I don't get any rudeness. Sometimes maybe, I don't know, I'd say three or four times a year someone might be rude. But apart from that, it's all very, very nice. And I think if you can make someone's day and I have the power to put a smile on someone's face, how lovely is that? That part of my job is doing that. I'm here for it. I love it. But thank you for the question. I had some really lovely Facebook messages. So I've got my Instagram, which is what I use the most. But I did think about my Life with Nat Facebook page and I have neglected it. So for the Facebookers out there, I am sorry and I am trying to do 20 minutes a day now on looking at the messages, having a little look at what people have said

and I can't believe how many people said, firstly, I put a message on saying get in touch, put the wrong bloody number on again, didn't I? 0778 2019 19 is the number. I put 0778 2020 19. Do you remember right at the beginning of this pod at the start when it was someone else's number. No one ever got back to me. No one. The weirdest thing it was a picture of a couple on the WhatsApp page and no one got back to me. They probably chucked their phone in the sea or something. But yes, I've changed the number on there and I have had some really lovely comments. Christine said, your podcasts are getting me through my London marathon training.

You are all with me on every run, making me lull through the pain. Keep them coming. There'll be a lot of people training for the marathon. It's at the end of April. They are probably doing, what are you doing now? Roughly 16, 18 miles, I reckon. Long old runs, but I think also you'll be having a few more rest days, a few more sprints. I love those days and lots of people say, could you help me with the training, how to get through it?

I am not a runner, I can assure you. And I started that walking from one end of the road to the other and then running back thinking how am I going to do it and you just do. Your brain is so powerful that if you set your mind to something you can do it. I am telling you to run 26.2 miles by yourself, well you're not on your own, there's a lot of people, but in your head, you're on your own doing that is a major feat. And if you're doing it for the first time this year, I wish you all the luck in the world. My nephew Dominic is doing it. I gave him actually a little rucksack, you know the little water tank rucksacks for his long runs.

He was doing it with his brother-in-law but unfortunately he's hurt himself. So I think he'll be doing it on his own but he's amazing. He's really, really quick as well. So I'm wishing Dom all the luck in the world. I'd like to get him on to have a quick chat actually. I will do that. I'm going to text him after this and see if he'll come on for me because you've not heard earlier on Maria's brother Dom. So that would be lovely. So I will do that. I'm going to text him after this and see if he'll come on for me because you've not heard Elia and Maria's brother, Dom. So that would be lovely.

So I will do that. But good luck to everybody who's running and I do hope I am keeping you company. Don't laugh too much because you'll win yourself. There's a lot of love for Scraping the Barrel, a lot of love for me and Mark and I really appreciate it. We do love doing them. It's so fun. It's interesting, isn't it? What I would like to know, I might pop this on Facebook and Instagram, is does it bother you kind of the rhythm of it if you were to hear two Scraping the Barrels within two weeks

or two Nats Neces within kind of a couple of weeks, Tony, Linney, you know, what, is it fine for me to just do whatever I want? Because I am really enjoying this solo one. And I think these could become a bit of a thing. But I really, really want your feedback on this one. And I want honest opinions, if it's worked, obviously it's the first one. So I do feel a little bit nervous, but it is lovely to have a bit more time to talk to people as well because I haven't got anyone else to talk to. So I do hope that you really love this. Lots of love for EastEnders people. Honestly, we've had such a good time on that show.

The past two weeks was a bit of a whirlwind with the live episode and everything, and I had so much love for it. I know I've spoken about it with Mark and I've also spoken about it on my other podcast with Joe Page on Off the Telly. But truly, now I'm out of it and kind of I get little flashes of what we've done. I feel very, very proud of it. I've had a lot of messages saying, do you miss EastEnders yet? It's only been a week. Give us a chance. Not even a week. yet. It's only been a week. Give us a chance. Not even a week. I left last Friday. So no, I'm not missing it at all. I'm really enjoying not driving in there, not putting Sonya's clothes on, not being at work for 12 hours. It's really, really nice to be at home a bit

more, but I'm sure I will miss it. I do miss my chair. I had a chair that I sat on in reception Funnily enough Lacey Turner plays Stacey one of my dear friends She had a plaque made for me and she stuck it on the chair I sat on and it said Nat Cass she loved this place bit morbid because it looks like I've died but Very very sweet idea. It was it was actually my idea to get the plaque, but Lacey got it. She always comes up trumps. I'm gonna miss the people.

I'm gonna miss my friends. But you've just got to make an effort outside of work to see people, which is very, very hard though when you're there because time goes really quickly and you don't get a lot of time. So I will make the effort to drop into people and see people that I love. So thank you for your

messages about EastEnders. I can't believe I'm coming up to nearly an hour. This is crazy. Let's see if there's anybody else I can phone. Oh, I do want to say this. Caroline has sent me a message saying, Hi Nat, my daughter Isla and I always listen to your pod together. She really loved the moon episode and found it really interesting. She has started asking the parking angel for a parking space and singing a little song. It's so nice to have something to listen to together. Keep it up.

Thank you so much. That is so lovely, Caroline. I did it the other day. Parking angel. Keep it up. Thank you so much. That is so lovely, Caroline. I did it the other day. Parking angel. Drove into M&S. Space was right in front of me. Perfect. I'll tell you where I didn't have a parking angel this morning at the garage for the service. It's a priority drop off for services and all filled up.

And one more on a park between, you know, when they park right in the middle of two spaces. That really gets on my nerves. Why are you not parking within the lines? I think that's almost as selfish as parking in a disabled bay. That really gets my go. Let me know if you agree. 0778 20 1919.

Hello. I hope you're having a wonderful time doing your very first solo pod. I am, Naomi. I just wanted to call in and say congratulations. I know it's something you've been toying with for a while, and so well done for taking the plunge and doing it. I can't wait to listen to it. As much as I love everybody that joins you on the pod, and I wouldn't be without any

of them. We are all here and we all listen because of you Natalie Hasdy so we are excited to listen to an episode with just you. I'm sure it'll be absolutely hilarious. I don't really have a specific question apart from remember in the first episode where you put the wrong couple's number on your Instagram? How was that, did you ever hear back from them? Because that was hilarious. Did you ever set up a PO box for us to send things in to you? Because I have a cracking game that I'd love to send you. I think you and the family would really enjoy it.

Just little things like that that I'm revisiting in my head. But have fun and can't wait to listen to it. Oh, that is absolutely hilarious. Can you believe I've just spoken about it? About the couple. This is what I mean. I love this sort of stuff. Never heard back from him.

Never, ever heard from him. But Naomi is one of my avid listeners. Thank you so, so much. In fact, really, I should just call her because it's a bit rude. She's online and not answering. That's annoying. She might be shy. She's not shy with her voice notes. Hello. Hi Naomi, it's Nat.

Hello. How are you? I was just slagging you off. I said, oh, she's online and not answering me. Rude. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Well, you know, I'm busy. I just wanted to thank you. I wanted to say a big thank you because you are one of my avid listeners. You always message me and I am on the pod now doing the solo episode. Oh, hello everyone. There you go. So I just wanted to, I thought it'd be really rude not to give you a ring and say thank you so much for supporting the pod and listening all the time and sending me all

your brilliant stuff because I do really appreciate it. Oh, thank you. Oh no, I think she was a bit shy. Naomi, I'm sending you a voice note. Oh no, she's calling back. Hello? Hello, sorry, I think it cut out. It did. I thought that you were too shy and cut me off.

Oh no, I'm not shy at all. Oh no, that's good. That's absolutely fine. No, I was just saying I love listening to the pod and it's a pleasure to listen to it every week. And I always send you these little things and I think, God, she probably thinks I'm this crazy stalker that's pestering her. But I like to just share my thoughts with you, so I'm made up to speak to you. Thanks for calling. No, honestly, and I really do.

When I see your name come up, I feel like you're on my mate now because I always know that you're going to message, and honestly, please never stop. Oh, no, yeah. I'm not going to tell you what you asked me in your voice note, which I've played on the pod, about the first episode, I've just before playing your voice note spoken about. So I'm going to let you wait until Monday.

Really weird. Really weird. How weird is that? Yeah, I love those sorts of things. So it's really odd. Yeah. But yeah, that was it. I just wanted to say thank you and I'll no doubt hear from you in the next week or so.

You will do. More voice notes incoming. And I'm sorting out the PO box. Yes, do, I've got stuff to send you, so that'd be great. Fantastic, all right darling, have a great day. You too, thank you so much Nat. Bye love. Bye. Oh, do you know something? I'm gonna end it there, because I have had a ball.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode. Yeah, I've just really enjoyed catching up with people and having a chat. Please let me know what you thought of it. Keep sending in your messages. This solo episode especially can't work without you. I can't sit rambling on my own. I'm not Katherine Ryan. She's a genius at her pod.

Have you seen it? She just talks and talks and talks for an hour. That isn't me. So I really do need you to continue to listen, subscribe, download and follow. Have a little look into it, how to do it. You just go into settings and click, make sure it's being downloaded once you've subscribed. It really makes a difference. And something else that we have to mention, I still see people in the street who are my fans who have watched EastEnders over the years or follow my Instagram and they say, oh, I love you. I love your videos. And I say, do you listen to the pod? And they

say, I don't know how to do podcasts. So all of you, let's give it a push and get people listening. Show people how to download it. I think people are frightened that they might think they have to pay money. If you've got an iPhone, you can download that podcast app and you can just start listening to it. If you've got Spotify already,

but you know, there are lots and lots of ways. If you go to www.podfollow.com forward slash life with Nat, that gives you every way you can follow me. So tell people about that please. And I've got too many messages. I'm going to have to do another one of these. You take care and have a fabulous day. Loads of love from Nat. Hi, this is Chris McCorsland. And this is Diane Boswell. And we've got a new podcast, haven't we, Di? We do. What's it called? Hi, this is Chris McCorsland. And this is Diane Buswell.

And we've got a new podcast, haven't we, Diane? We do. What's it called? Winning. Isn't. Everything. Every week, me and Diane, we're going to be having a little catch up on the back here strictly, aren't we, Diane?

We are. I've missed you, Chris. I've missed you too. We're going to talk some nonsense, so why not tune in? Available everywhere you get your podcasts.