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Hope For 2015 (31 Days-Day #31)

JillandKate — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:29:39 +0000

It’s the last day of the year.

2014 is done. Gone. Over. In the past. And 2015 is before us.

What are you doing to celebrate?

Whatever you do we hope you laugh and maybe dance a little. Cause laughing and dancing is light. For some of us, 2014 has been filled with pockets of heaviness. So, tonight we’re going to dance and laugh, dance and laugh and maybe dance some more…that’s the way we want to bring in 2015. Friends, dancing and laughter.

We have blogged about it before but every NYE we write a letter to ourselves to open the next year on Dec. 31. It’s maybe the most fun thing we do all year. It’s a good time to write down where you want to be next year…what changes you want to make, what goals you want to achieve…it’s CRAZY how much changes in a year.

We have lots to be grateful for this year…and we have lots to be looking forward to next year.

Thank you for being a part of this year with us. Thank you for coming out to shows. Thank you for sending your tweets/FB messages/Instagrams YOU are a part of our everyday life…

Let’s go into 2015 together with hopeful hearts. Hope in our hearts. Laughter in our conversations. Fresh air in our lungs.

Much love…

j&k

PS. Please, please, please….be careful tonight. Call a cab. Call an über. Call a designated driving service. Do not drink and drive. Repeat: do not drink and drive. Your life matters.

Don’t Do The New Years Diet (31 Days- Day #30)

JillandKate — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 04:11:20 +0000

With all the hubbub of a new year and the pressure of new year’s resolutions and changing your life at the stroke of midnight, we’d like to share some friendly advice that was shared with us… DONT START A DIET ON JAN 1!

Anne Lamott wrote this incredibly insightful Facebook post and we thought we’d share what she wrote:

This is the Anne Patricia Lamott Anti-Diet that I posted at this time last year. This year, I post it with an added urgency, as the new Viking Diet is upon us, the latest and hottest It diet, and since you may feel vulnerable and somewhat battered after the last few days/weeks/years of festive family get-togethers, or estrangement, you will be susceptible to its promises. And yes, young Canute, if you are enjoying the noble Viking lifestyle, raiding your neighbor’s grain stores and salted venison lockers, this may in fact be the perfect new diet for you. Are you giddy with relief that Whole Foods carries so many foraged vegetables, and moose meat? Then step right up. Help bail out the ever-struggling diet industry, while you’re at it. But otherwise?

We need to talk.

I know you are planning to start a diet next Thursday, January 1st, I used to start diets, too. I hated to mention this to my then-therapist. She would say cheerfully, ” Oh, that’s great, honey. How much weight are you hoping to gain?”

I got rid of her sorry ass. No one talks to ME that way.

Well, okay, maybe it was ten years later, after she had helped lead me back home, to myself, to radical self-care, to friendship with my own heart, to a jungly glade that had always existed deep inside me, to mostly healthy eating, but that I’d avoided all those years by achieving, dieting, binging, people-pleasing, multi-talking, and so on

Now when I decide to go on a diet, I say it to myself: “Great, honey. How much weight are you hoping to gain?”

I was able to successfully put on weight during my last book tour by eating room service meals in a gobbly trance in 13 different cities. So that was exhilarating, as I may have mentioned several hundred times that I have had the tiniest, tiniest struggle with food and body image for the last–well, life time. Hardly worth mentioning.

And then, after book tour, I accidentally forgot to starve myself in December, or to go back to the gym, which I’ve been meaning to do since I had a child, 24 years ago.

So I am at least five pounds up–but thankfully, I do not currently have a scale, because as I’ve said before, getting on a scale is like asking Dick Cheney to give you a sense of your own self-worth every morning.

I can still get my jeans on, for one reason: I wear forgiving pants. The world is too hard as it is, without letting your pants have an opinion on how you are doing. I struggle with enough esteem issues without letting my jeans get in on the act, volunteering random thoughts about my butt.

By the same token, it feels great to be healthy. Some of you need to be under a doctor’s care. None of you need to join Jenny Craig. It won’t work. You will lose tons of weight quickly, and gain it all back, plus five. Some of you need to get outside and walk for half an hour a day. I do love walking, so that is not a problem for me, but I have a serious sickness with sugar: if I start eating it, I can’t stop. I don’t have an off switch, any more than I do with alcohol. Given a choice, I will eat candy corn and Raisinets until the cows come home–and then those cows will be tense, and bitter, because I will have gotten lipstick on the straps of their feed bags.

But you crave what you eat, so if I go for 3 or 4 days with no sugar, the craving is gone. That is not dieting. If you are allergic to peanuts, don’t eat peanuts.

So please join me in not starting a diet January 1st.

It’s really okay, though, to have (or pray for) an awakening around your body. It’s okay to stop hitting the snooze button, and to pay attention to what makes you feel great about yourself, one meal at a time. Horribly, it’s yet another inside job. If you are not okay with yourself at 185, you will not be okay at 150, or even 135. The self-respect and peace of mind you long for is not out there. It’s within. I hate that. I resent that more than I can say. But it’s true.

Maybe some of us can try to eat a bit less, and walk a bit more, and make sure to wear pants that do not hurt our thighs or our feelings. Drinking more water is the solution to all problems.

I’ll leave you with this: I’ve helped some of the sturdier women at my church get healthy, by suggesting they prepare each meal as if they had asked our beloved pastor to lunch or dinner. They wouldn’t say, “Here Pastor–let’s eat standing up in the kitchen. This tube of barbecue Pringles is all for you. i have my own” And then stand there gobbling from their own tubular container. No, they’d get out pretty dishes, and arrange wonderful foods on the plates, and set one plate before Veronica at the table, a plate filled with love, pride and connection. That’s what we have longed for, our whole lives, and get to create, now, or or on the 1st. Wow! And God bless you all real good, as my pastor always says.

Anne said it all and we really don’t know what else to say. We are all about being healthy…if you need to get healthy DO IT. But, don’t do it because you think at the stroke of midnight your willpower and mind-set will change in a second. Take small steps to being the healthiest version of yourself. Maybe it’s not physically at all, maybe it’s getting emotionally healthy. Don’t pressure yourself with big goals. Small steps. We’re all in this together.

Much love.

j&k

BTS: Dressing Rooms (31 Days- Day #29)

JillandKate — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 04:49:30 +0000

A question that we get asked a lot is: what do the dressing rooms look like? What’s backstage like? Having toured in many different ways i.e. minivan —->bus…tiny clubs ——>arenas and everything in between…this is something that people ask us alllll the time. So, we thought we’d dig through years of touring pics and try and give you a real look.

Sometimes it’s a smelly sports locker room, sometimes it’s a cozy room with colorful drapes and couches…other times it’s a closet with 2 folding chairs and a couple bottles of water. Most rooms have this in common: no windows. And you might think that behind that security guard and black curtain there is a magic world of champagne fountains and fairy god-mothers delivering fairy dust and chocolates…we haven’t found that yet. We’ll let you know when we do. Its mostly bare hallways. “Well-used” furniture.

Anyway…here are some snap shots from various dressing rooms throughout the years. Now, there may or may not be lots of selfie-in-the-mirror shots…and before you go thinking we’re the most vain people on the planet…just know…sometimes we arrive at a venue at 8am and don’t go onstage until 9pm or 10pm. That’s lots of time. Plus, most of those 8am arrivals we are looking a little rough from sleeping on the bus or driving all night so by the time we are all made up–we wanted to document it…it’s a big transformation, people!

j&k

Say what?

Someone turned our “Jill and Kate” sign and wrote just “Jill.” Color me offended. *winky face*

Loading docks are the new hallways.

Back of a tour bus = impromptu dressing room.

We like to call this “hobo-chic.”

Bored & “…lying on the cold hard ground…” circa Taylor Swift.

At The Bitter End in NYC. Dressing room is literally a big closet and has stickers all over.

Trailor/camper dressing room.

Dressing rooms are better with friends in them!

Sa-sa-sa-selfie.

This was a fun room. Jill is too cool for school.

Red Rocks in Colorado. The venue is awesome & this was literally a wall in our dressing room.

Ay-yo.

Black drape curtains covering lockers behind us.

This was in a dressing room at CTV when we were in Canada…they asked us to sign it! Fun. Fun.

Always good to see this in your dressing room…while you’re changing :/

Showing off the new JANN ARDEN phone case

Shenanigans with Nicole…so fun…and a little messy.

Hotel room = make-shift dressing room.

This was in the UK. The dressing room actually had windows. Except for we literally just watched rats run back and forth….so incredibly GROSS.

Brown wood paneling.

A closet dressing room where our friend Kristyn was getting ready–literally a closet

Mirrors up.

Lesley helping with Kate’s hair. Lesley was THE BEST dressing room setter-uper. Even if the room was a dump…she always made it livable

At the O2 arena…make shift dressing room = a hallway.

Never a good sign when “dirty anus” is written on the dressing room wall.

First show on the Jann Arden tour. Setlists, make-up…it was so tiny in there.

Hallway to the first arena we played OUR OWN SET AT.

Treadmills are sometimes in dressing rooms. That’s about as close to “using it” as we got.

Again, dressing rooms are more fun with friends….Kristyn and the Canadian Country Duo Autumn Hill

TV station dressing room aka lobby. Chris & Jill. Take note of the venti coffee and Jill’s squinty eyes.

Dark painted walls. Jill warming up.

Bathrooms and plastic chairs.

Water & pizza…talking set list strategy.

Old living room was a dressing room for our video shoot…here’s Lesley again helping with Kate’s shoes. She’s the best.

Green walls…singing with our friend Reva warming up for a show.

Wembley arena hallways at our last Kelly gig. Signs are always helpful because sometimes every room looks the same.

In the UK, this was the basement of a venue. It had the most RANDOM stuff in it…

Bare walls but smiling faces…and wardrobe hanging behind.

Room with sinks.

Again…dressing rooms are better with friends.

Flowery couches, wine and a mess!

Apples..bare walls.

Bright lights…and Lesley. Yay!

Cinder block painted white walls….perfect for push-ups. And there are those dang black curtains.

Sometimes there are weird wood/locker things in your dressing room…perfect for weird photos.

Shnazzy carpet…perfect for napping…or crashing.

This was a dressing room at Dancing With The Stars…getting our hair did. It was a trailer.

Ignore the HUGE pile of clothes behind us. Sometimes you got to get up.

Orange walls and smiling faces.

Wall of heroes on the wall. Guitar hero drum-set that was not ours and some sass.

Sometimes there are cool things like this on the wall of dressing rooms. Goofy faces are optional.

See above. ELLEN!

Ignore Kate’s weird face and awkward pose. This was at Ellen and we like to think this was the exact dressing room that Ellen scared Taylor and she fell on the ground.

Green checkered walls at The View!

Wine (31 Days – Day #28)

JillandKate — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 06:11:03 +0000

The holidays are a great opportunity to try some new wines. Here are a few new ones we hadn’t tried before. (Ps. These are non-fancy reviews of wine. We know nothing about the proper “educated” terms…just clarifying before we got started.)

Come on, red velvet wine…made by Cupcake? Can you say…WINNER! It’s not too heavy or sweet…tasted kind of like a merlot. And how festive is that label? Perfect for a holiday table. Next year guys. Next year.

Oooooh…loved this Chardonnay. It’s not very sweet. It’s like it says on the bottle…crisp & clean. So delicious. Made by Kendall-Jackson.. which we love their Reisling but hadn’t tried this one.

In the airport I (Kate) found this wine bar & tried a taste of 3 different white wines. They serve them with the description of each underneath. I liked the first 2 but the last one wasn’t my favorite (even though the description was something along the lines of buttercream.)

This was my favorite from the tasting…it’s from New Zealand. Woot woot. I loved the passion fruit and citrus flavors…never tasted anything like it before. LOVED it. I got a full glass of it after the tasting was finished. What? Don’t judge. I had a LOT of time to kill in the airport. Plus, I was reading. Reading a book + a glass of wine… might = perfection

Do you have a favorite new wine you’ve discovered recently? Sharing is caring.

j&k

5 Things To Watch or Read: Go. (31 Days-Day #27)

JillandKate — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:57:01 +0000

I love hearing what you have been watching, reading (and listening to)…because I’m always more inclined to watch, read (or listen to) something that comes recommended to me rather than just trying to find something myself. Laziness? Perhaps. Honestly though, how much time have you wasted browsing through Netflix categories only to get overwhelmed and turn on F-R-I-E-N-D-S re-runs? Just me? I didn’t think so.

And when it comes to books, I am the worst. I pretty much only read things that people suggest to me. So I thought to myself, on Day 27 of blogging, why don’t we have a little interaction where we recommend things to each other. Here are 5 things I have been watching, reading, or listening to lately. Please tell me 5 of yours too! It can be TV shows, Movies, Books, Podcasts, Funny YouTube videos…really whatever you please!

Here we go:

1. BROADCHURCH (TV Show): This UK drama/mystery series on Netflix is SO GOOD. There are only 8 episodes and I watched all of them in the past week. There is a season 2 coming soon! The acting is outstanding and the storyline is so compelling. I don’t want to give anything away, but check it out.

2. SERIAL (Podcast): This is really the first podcast I have ever listened to. My brother called me and said “You HAVE to listen to this.” So I started it and could not stop. The word “Podcast” has always felt a little intimidating to me, but now all I can think about is finding another one like Serial. It’s FREE and you will not be able to turn it off.

3. IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? (AND OTHER CONCERNS) BY MINDY KALING (Book): I sort of stole this from Kate because she read it first and kept talking about how funny it was. She was right. This is such an easy read and Mindy is so funny and likable. It’s a nice light-hearted piece that has nothing to do with murder. (My first two suggestions do. Trying to lighten things up a bit here.)

4. AN IDIOT ABROAD (TV Show): Here is another Netflix series that I find both hilarious and educational. Apparently, I have a tendency to watch British shows, but really that’s not much of a shock considering how much I love the UK and all of you wonderful people over there. This is a reality travel show of sorts, but with some pretty funny twists that make it different than your average travel show. It’s a little quirky, but check it out and tell me what you think.

5. FRESHPET HOLIDAY FEAST (YouTube Video): And this…just because…how can you not think this is hysterical?

Now please share with us 5 of your favorites! And let us know what you think about these!

Hope you’re having a great weekend.

-Jill (and Kate)

Rocky Road Single Cover! (31 Days-Day #26)

JillandKate — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 02:32:51 +0000

Guys…our new single is ALMOST HERE! Even if you’ve heard our acoustic version of Rocky Road, this is totally different. We are so stoked about it! So we wanted to share with you the single cover…we are too excited to keep this stuff in, so little by little we’ll be revealing things about this new album to you.

If you haven’t Pre-Ordered, you still can! Your pre-orders are helping us make this album a reality, so THANK YOU! Honestly, your generosity and support are such an encouragement to us. We can’t believe we get to do this and that you are on this ride with us!

Oh, if you’ve pre-ordered or if you do soon…you will get this song in your inbox VERY soon!

Much love…

-j&k-

It’s Christmas! (31 Days-Day #25)

JillandKate — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 00:18:23 +0000

Who can believe that Christmas Day has arrived? Wow. The year has flown by. They say the older you get, the faster the time goes….yikes…we think they might be right.

We wanted to wish each of YOU (yes, you) the most wonderful, joy-filled Christmas! We hope that you are surrounded by loving friends and family and that you can take a moment to relax and breathe.

And, we know that sometimes holidays can be hard. You might want to throw a chair though a window if you hear “it’s the most wonderful time of year” again. If that’s you this Christmas…that’s okay. If you are having a hard time…that’s okay. You can be honest. You can be quiet. I (kate) would be lying if I said there weren’t Christmases that I didn’t cry my way through. One Christmas I was going through a breakup and literally sat and stared out the window, past the Christmas tree full of lights and wanted to bury my head in a pile of blankets. I cried and I cried. That’s actually when I started the song “Don’t Feel A Thing” that ended up on our Songs On The 17th Vol. 1 album. I think back then I tried keeping it all inside…not sure why, I just didn’t want my problems to bum other people out. But, I think I’ve learned now being honest with pain is the best way to bring healing…and not only to yourself but to everyone. Now when I’m feeling something I really try to say it out loud and be honest. Because, I think that’s ok.

Not meaning to be debbie downer. We hope and pray that this Christmas season you are joyous and life is AWESOME. But, if you’re not…we want you to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We’ve said it once, we’ll say it a thousand times…we are all in this together. Maybe we could all reach out today to someone? Send someone a text or blow their minds and CALL them. Write an email. Think of someone that might not have many people around them celebrating today. Tell someone that’s having a hard time not to get over it but that you are getting in it with them. We think that would be an epic way to spread holiday cheer.

God gave us Jesus…Emmanual…”God With Us”…so that we wouldn’t be alone.

We are SO thankful for each of you. Honestly, you don’t know how much you mean to us.

Love, love, love.

Jill and Kate

PS. Merry Christmas to you. 3 free songs can be downloaded at: https://soundcloud.com/jill-and-kate

Christmas Eve! (31 Days-Day #24)

JillandKate — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 05:50:19 +0000

Well we have both had super awesome days in our respective homes. A fabulous Christmas Eve loaded with family time. New Hampshire has had wild weather with a coastal flood warning and Colorado has snow on the ground and is COLD. We are both still holding out for a “White Christmas”…we want snow people!

Hope that you all have had a great Christmas Eve celebrating with family & friends.

We heard about this song today for the first time…umm… hello? How had we not heard this before today? It made us laugh. Oh, 2014, you’re a riot. OMG. LOL. xoxo Hahaha…texting…

Hope Santa brings you everything you are wishing for!

j&k

The Best Christmas Fan Video There Ever Was! (31 Days-Day #23)

JillandKate — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 01:23:17 +0000

Thanks to everyone that sent in pictures for our video! We LOVE celebrating this season with you.

Much love,

j&k

The Most Fun App This Christmas – (31 Days – Day #22)

JillandKate — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 01:26:58 +0000

Okay. Get ready to laugh.

A few friends of mine showed me this app the other day and I have been doubled over in laughter ever since.

It’s called “Crazy Helium Booth” and it’s so much fun. It warps your face and your voice sort of just like regular photo booth, but I think it’s the voice element that makes it that much better. Forgive me if this is old news, but it’s new to me and I am quite enjoying it.

Here is one of me:

http://jillandkate.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1419283460_new.m4v

Download the app…(It’s FREE…at least the version I got is free…you can buy a version without the ads if you feel so inclined) and it’s just so fun…and just so funny. Enjoy it with your family and friends!

HAPPY Holidays.

-j