Life on the B Side

Episode 16: Five Subtle Signs You’re Living Life on the B Side.

Show name change! Why?
Because I refuse to talk to myself, or a wall.
Because actually, this is just Life on B Side.
And some B sides have been known to be better than the A sides.
Not sure if you’re on the B Side? Well, if you know what a B Side is then tag, you’re it.
But just in case, here’s 5 subtle clues to help you recognise your B Side status.
You’re welcome :) 

Episode 15: The 3 things that prove I am a bad daughter, including confirmation from beyond the grave.

There’s not much I don’t feeling guilty about.
Being a sh*tty daughter is near the top of the list though.
I’m not always sh*tty. Only when it matters.
And just when I learned to live with the weird warmth of accepting that I could have done better, my Dads diligent note-taking came back to haunt me...

Episode 14: All You Need Is Love…plus maybe these 10 pieces of relationship advice.

ME: Valentine’s Day is utter horseshit, yes? Can we agree on that?
THEM: OK, so what’s really important in a long-term relationship?
ME: Earplugs, distance, a good solicitor?
THEM: *unimpressed*
ME: OK, so after 20 years of marriage, here’s what I think…

Episode 13: Why the f*ck do I say sorry all the time? The Anatomy of an Apology

When Maria finds herself apologising to food, it sparks a few questions…
Why do we say sorry so much? How do our past experiences of apologising shape why we say sorry?
And why, oh why, did she apologise for her boobs and a work colleague’s punctured testicle?

Episode 12: Why the f*ck are the small things in life so overwhelming?

Lists, lists and more lists. Apple watch notifications.
And the world’s most annoying app.
The constant stream of tiny things to do, questions to answer and general background noise can be a f*cking nightmare…
Send help!
(Here’s a link to a bunch of suggestions on how to handle ‘overwhelm’:https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/01/make-a-much-shorter-to-do-list-15-quick-simple-ways-to-avoid-overwhelm
Please Note: I haven’t tried any of these….yet)

Episode 11: How do you know when to quit?

It might be a New Year thing or an age thing, but quitting things is definitely a topic of discussion at the moment.
Maria looks at how you know when it’s time to quit something and how it’s better to reframe the decision for the positive.

Episode 10: The Dating Game: A Quick Guide to the Updated Rules

Maria has unlocked a new level of parenting – guiding your children through their first broken hearts.
Listen as Maria examines her own break up CV (she has plenty of experience) and provides her guide as to how she sees the new rules for today’s dating game.
Good luck kids! This game is getting more complicated every day...

Episode 9: Unwrapping the Ghosts of Christmas Past

Not every Christmas is a merry one, but happy endings are sometimes achievable. The trouble with bad memories is they keep floating out of the woodwork like festive ghouls intent on ruining your happy vibes.
Maria shares how her first 14 Christmases were pretty cruddy and how their lingering presence needs to be put to rest once and for all.
Contains a theme of domestic abuse, just so you know. Nothing graphic though.
For help with domestic abuse, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help for a list of services available.

Episode 8: 90s Band Names Reveal!

If you listened to Episode 3 then you’ll want to hear this one :)
Listen in to find out the names of all the 90s bands included in Episode 3! Maria will guide you through each one. How many did you get?

Episode 7: Forgive me, Gregg Wallace

When a man ‘of a certain age’ dismisses the concerns and accusations of women ‘of a certain age’, it shows he doesn’t have a clue about the lived experience of women.
This episode contains some details of Maria’s own potted history of sexual violence and harassment and why women of a certain age are just fed up now…