EP 57 Sparking Change and Inspiring a Community With Kim From Sober Is the New Cool

In this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing Kim Bella, the remarkable founder of Sober is the New Cool, whose journey is truly inspiring. Kim's path to sobriety began when her son Matthew was diagnosed with epilepsy, prompting her to quit alcohol in solidarity with him. What started as a three-month challenge turned into 11 years of sobriety, during which she discovered a profound sense of purpose in helping others navigate their own struggles.

Throughout our conversation, we discussed the challenges Kim encountered along her path, highlighting her unwavering commitment to positivity and resilience. From organizing international walks to advocating for mental health and addiction support, Kim has used her platform to spread encouragement and to benefit various nonprofits through sales from her awesome merch. Her story underscores the transformative power of sobriety and the importance of community support in overcoming life's hurdles.

Get in touch with Kim!
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Mentioned Resources
Mommy Goes To Meetings by Amy Liz Harrison
Podcast episode with Emma Newman of Sobersonic 

Thanks to Giesen 0% Wines for being our exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor!

Connect with Deb: @Mocktail.Mom

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You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Transcript

Deb: 0:01

Big time cheers to you for tuning in to the Thriving Alcohol Free Podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode. Okay, hey, friends, it's Deb. Welcome back Alcohol-Free Thriving , the fun podcast. You're here, you're back and it's. We all made it through dry January and I have such a special guest today in the house with me Kim Bellas, is that how you say your last name, Bellas?

Kim: 0:49

Yes, Bellas, okay.

Deb: 0:49

I want to say make sure I'm saying it right. Kim is coming to us live today from Canada. Go back. Am I saying it right?

Kim: 0:56

No, not saying that right yes you are.

Deb: 0:58

Oh, okay, okay, I say everything wrong. Okay, kim is the founder of Sober is the New Cool, so are you following along? Make sure you're following her on Instagram and all the places, because you are in all the places, kim. I have followed you since early, early in my alcohol free journey. You just exude love and kindness. It just flows off of your page the encouragement and the support that you provide to so many people. So it is so fun. I want to hear your story. I've never met before kind of screen to screen. We've DMed and commented and stuff. So how are you?

Kim: 1:32

I'm great and you know what I've followed you forever. Also, I am so thrilled to be here because I just think you are absolutely amazing.

Deb: 1:43

I feel the same way about you, thank you.

Kim: 1:45

You're aura and you shine and you're smile and you're just. I just love you.

Deb: 1:50

We're just having fun, right, Like who knew? Who knew how fun this was going to be. Okay, so we're recording this. It's the last day of January, last day of January 2024. And you just celebrated 11 years alcohol free.

Kim: 2:05

Yes, I do.

Deb: 2:06

Phenomenal Congratulations yeah.

Kim: 2:09

And I you know what. I would never change one second of the last 11 years to lose anything that I've done, not more. Really, the ups and downs you know it goes up and down, but no, no, I just have a life.

Deb: 2:25

Yeah, you have a life, yeah, okay. So do you want to tell the listeners how you got started, what got you on your alcohol free journey? Because you are. You are the picture of thriving. You are thriving in your alcohol free journey, so I can't wait to hear all about how it got started.

Kim: 2:40

So basically, in 2013, my son Matthew was a huge football player. You know a regular kid having fun. We were out five nights a week at football. He was amazing. From one day to the next he started having bra mouth seizure.

Deb: 2:57

Oh gosh.

Kim: 2:58

Yeah. So at first they thought, okay, it's concussion related, you know, whatever. And you know he was such a good football player that the coaches and hospital kept saying, oh no, no, it's okay, you know he'll be all right, he could, we'll let him play after six weeks or three weeks or whatever. And finally, at one point he had gone on a ski trip away from home and we got a call two in the morning he had had another seizure in front of all his classmates, and you know they were about two hours away. So basically they were, they were already at the hospital. There was no point in us going because by the time we would get there they were on their way home. So from that moment on they realized, yes, in fact he was going to be epileptic, the rest of his life would have to take medication. So you know it, just like our life just turned so upside down so quickly. So I was a maniac because he was out five nights a week playing football. Now I'm not letting him ride a bike because I'm so afraid. Right, the medicine hadn't kicked in. So finally, after about, I guess, three or four months, we get some medicine. Everything's kind of on track.

Kim: 4:10

And I said Tim, you know, you've got, you've got to get out of the basement. This is crazy. I said you know, but he was embarrassed and you know everything. We were all afraid. I said, you know, I'll drive you to see your buddies and then I'll pick you up. Half an hour later He'd call me the third time. I said, okay, this is what's going on. He said, mom, they all drink or smoke alcohol. I don't fit in. And I said, okay, this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard Blah, blah, blah. You know, my daughter's a mother, right?

Deb: 4:38

As.

Kim: 4:38

I said I had the biggest blast of wine in my hand and I thought you're a hypocrite. And from that moment I said I'll stop for three months. It was supposed to be a three month journey, more to prove appointment, because I did drink a lot. I realized quite honestly how much I was drinking, but I thought, okay, I'll do three months. So three months came and went and then he said you see, mom, now you could be like everybody else. I said, okay, I'll do another three months.

Kim: 5:10

Then his buddy showed up one day and they had to know the backpack with the booze and the backpack. You know kids, Sure, sure. And I hear him say you guys can't bring that in. My mom stopped drinking for me, Wow. And then I thought, wow, like this is whatever, right. So we did sober at the New Cool because he didn't want to talk about his epilepsy, he didn't want to talk about not being able to drink, right. And then we ended up in the hospital a few times because we, just to say he went to the park with the boys. Once things kind of settled down, Sure, I think I'm OK, yeah, yeah, I want to be like everybody else and I'll free go and an ambulance again. So we started sober is the New Cool. My sister made a logo. I don't even know how it got started, this logo. She had it going up and down. I turned the paper. I still have the napkin, she wrote it.

Kim: 6:02

No, really.

Deb: 6:04

Really, I swear to God. Oh, I love it. You need to frame that. That's awesome.

Kim: 6:07

Yeah, it was like a crazy, you know just. And then I did a Facebook page at 52. Not, I never did any of that, didn't know anything about anything. Nobody was talking about alcohol and not drinking, other than hello Sunday morning out of Australia. That was the only thing I could find Wow. And I just said we're going to do it so that Matthew can kind of blame me. I guess you know my mother is doing this, that kind of thing you do not have to explain. And I have to tell you after six months.

Kim: 6:40

Everywhere I went, people made me they'd say you don't have a problem, come here, we'll just have a drink in the corner. We won't tell anybody. And I thought if it's this hard for me, how is a teenager going to get through this? It's impossible, right, yeah. And then from the UK, that's where the first letters started coming in and the remarks on Facebook. It was like how did you do this? What are you doing? How's your son? What's going on? And then I met a bunch of mothers with kids that were epileptic, that also couldn't drink, and it was just like it just blew up, you know, like two mothers, my sister and I like at a kitchen table doing this. It was supposed to be for my Matthew, that's it, that's all. And it just blew up. And every time I think, ok, something else would happen and push me along.

Deb: 7:34

And here I am, 11 years later, 11 years, your story gives me. I mean, really, for any mother who's listening right, it's our worst nightmare just to have your child's health in one day, and I've experienced that. My older daughter is in remission from apostecanemia and so to go from like your child is perfectly healthy. Like you said, five days a week you're in football, you're living life right, you're going out, he's doing all the normal stuff and like your whole life has changed Everything. Everything changes. Your perspective on everything changes.

Kim: 8:06

Yeah, and I couldn't go out. I couldn't go out, I was like frozen. You know I was afraid to go out and you know, if I went out, my husband stayed home. My husband went to stay home. I stayed home. It was six. The first six years was shared health, you know. So for me a lot of people say when you stopped drinking, was it hard? Yes, it was hard. I didn't go to restaurants, I didn't go to bars, I didn't go to parties, but I had a sick trial, so that kind of trumps, all that stuff right. And then as we got better, because we had now these six years seizure free, by the way.

Deb: 8:40

Is he? Oh my gosh. Thank you, Lord.

Kim: 8:43

Yes, 26, and he's six years seizure free. But we've had ups and downs in between the 2013 and then right. So for me it was just like every time I thought we'd get two steps forward, something would happen, right, and thank God I didn't drink because I think I would have lost my mind, having you know, with the sick child, because and I wanted to fix him and I couldn't- yeah, oh yeah, as the mom you're like, I'll take it.

Deb: 9:11

I'll sit and put me in the chair, you know, in the hospital bed, or put me there. Yeah, put me in the ambulance.

Kim: 9:16

And I think too, for all his friends that were normal right, doing the normal stuff and everything you know we had. We went to psychologists, we went to psychiatrists. I talked about that a lot and that was hard for my family because my husband's very reserved and I was very open about this. This was going to be and nobody was talking about it. You know, I admitted to taking drugs at one point when I, might you know, I went through my menopause. I talked about everything and I said we have to talk about these things, right, because I want my son to be normal, my son has to be normal.

Deb: 9:52

Yeah, yeah, and it's so refreshing to talk about. You know what so many people aren't talking about. Especially back then, nobody like you said what one account you found. And now, how does it feel now when you come online? Now I mean you are the OG of the OG of talking about sober living. I mean, and I love your logo, I love what you and your sister did, so whichever way you're holding the paper, it's perfect, it's wonderful. But I mean, how is it now to come online and it feels like every other person is talking about sobriety.

Kim: 10:23

Well, you know, it's very refreshing. Yes, I find you know, this year we did an international walk because COVID was over right. So people from around the world did it in their homes, at towns, and then I did one in Montreal, Highland, and I have to tell you a lot of people wouldn't come because they didn't want the neighbors to know.

Deb: 10:44

Still, Wow, wow, wow. The stigma of like yes. Do you think it's from using the word sober, or do you think it's like like? Do you think other words have like if somebody says, oh, I'm alcohol free or I'm doing a health challenge and not drinking, or do you think it's that word sober, like? I know, when I first stopped drinking, like that word sober scared me. I was like oh no, I'm not sober, I just don't want to drink as much, I just want to moderate. Yeah, you know it was a scary word.

Kim: 11:09

Well, I think it's. You know it could be a number of sober, aa, alcoholic, anonymous. You're an alcoholic, you did. And I remember saying to one woman right at the beginning I said well, if I said to you you're a sharp alcoholic, we'd all laugh, wouldn't we? So like, think about it. It's still an obsession, you know. And then she kind of laughed and we said you know, whatever. And for me, I think I wanted to get rid of that label. If you want to say you're an alcoholic, that's fine. If you want to say you're sober, period, that's fine. But it just has to change and it's changing. I find more so with my kids, friends, age Interesting, interesting and the women that I know are married the husbands that now, maybe during COVID, had a slip.

Kim: 11:57

Many doctors I knew that were 10 years sober, that were overworked, overtired, had a slip and none of them wanted to talk about it.

Deb: 12:07

Interesting. Oh, that's so interesting, yeah, yeah. Now the younger generation, I think for sure, is way. What is that? Is it just that they're more open to the health stuff, or is it like oh, I'll smoke pot, I won't drink? I mean, I don't, it's so interesting to me.

Kim: 12:22

I think so, because at one point one of my Matthew's friends came and he said could I buy five T-shirts? And I said five T-shirts. And he said one of the boys we went to school with we just found out it's coming out of rehab and we were all supposed to watch a football game last year and he said he's not ready to wear a T-shirt, but we're all going to wear a T-shirt. And we bought the non-alcoholic beer and the non-alcoholic gin and whatever you know those drinks to support him, to make it easier for him to be at the park. And I said here, just take as many as you want.

Deb: 12:55

Take whatever you want. Yeah, here's the cabinet. Take whatever, oh.

Kim: 13:01

Because I thought at 25 years old to have people supporting you like that right and give up their night of booze and whatever and say, no way, we're right here behind you and that's it.

Deb: 13:13

And I was like that was a cute moment. That's amazing, I will tell you right. Okay, so I am a person who loves merch. I love stuff with a logo on it. I've been in the industry since I was like 15, since before I could drive a car and around logo stuff. So whenever I see you, you always have like the cutest sweatshirts on with your logo hats. I'm looking at you right now. You have your logo behind you on a banner. I love it also, but I also love that you get your. Well, you're just your heart is to give back. So all the proceeds go towards mental health and addiction.

Kim: 13:43

You're giving only to one place at one point. But now a lot of the people that were sending me donations wanted to give through mental health. Some wanted to give to you know different things. So I said I'm just going to pick non-profits. And there's so many wonderful ones now right Totally that we could spread it out forever.

Deb: 14:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, totally, totally. There's no shortage. There's no shortage of wonderful places that are doing great work. Okay, as you guys know, I love Giesen's Zero Percent Wines. Their Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to on a regular basis, but they recently launched a delicious sparkling brute, zero Percent, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. I am so proud to have Giesen as the exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor of the Podcast.

Deb: 14:29

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Deb: 15:07

My personal favorite although I do love them all is the Sauvignon Blanc, coming in at only 100 calories for the entire bottle and, not to be missed, the other members of their Zero Percent family the Riesling, the Premium Red Blend, the Rose Day, the Pinot Gris. With Giesen's Zero Percent wines, there's a de-alcoholized wine for everyone and every occasion. Give Giesen a try and let me know how much you love it, and if you want to meet their winemaker, go back to episode 33 of the podcast, where Duncan Shuler joined me to share about the Giesen story. So how was your walk? How was it?

Kim: 15:38

We were about probably 45 people in the end.

Kim: 15:42

I had more people around the world basically walking in their cities. But it was fine because I think when everybody looked at it afterwards I picked also a mountain top in the Montreal area that's a tourist place and I think when they looked at the videos and they looked at the people walking, some people had t-shirts on, so it was in the bulls, others didn't, or different merch that was sober merch and some people were just dressed regularly. So I think people realized, oh, nobody would have known right, and that now I think this year will be phenomenal. But out of that the Canadian government did a declaration because in Canada, in Montreal, there was never an international recovery day. So this year they did a declaration in the name of sobering singer crew no, yes, yes.

Kim: 16:38

So that was from that walk, that's what happened and it was like the whole thing kind of happened. The minister called me and said what's all this blah, blah, blah? And I said I've been doing this for 10 years and I'm going to come and miss them out. And then it was like Well, and I said you don't have a day in Canada or Montreal.

Deb: 16:59

Some provinces do, but as an international but I do it anyways, and then it was like they gave me two weeks to organize a walk.

Kim: 17:06

I said what if nobody comes?

Deb: 17:08

What if nobody comes? You're super woman, Kim. Seriously, you need to keep with your logo on it, Like no.

Kim: 17:14

But then nobody was really answering and I just said, okay, I've got to just go, and whether it was two people or five people, I'm just gonna own it right, because Totally, I had to show the world that I was ready to stand up and I brought my sign with me and we put it there, and do you know how many people came to the sign that didn't know about it, that said that they were had stopped drinking for two years or five years, or knew somebody that needed help? It was unbelievable.

Kim: 17:43

And then they made the declaration for. So where's the new pool? So that was amazing.

Deb: 17:48

Because it was kind of like okay we're here. Yeah, validation, yeah and absolutely yeah. So what is the day, what is the actual so in 2024 or 2020?

Kim: 17:59

It's normally everybody is the 30th of October. Okay, okay, yep, so they're working that out because some provinces have other days. Okay, so I thought we should go international, because the rest of the world all does it on Wednesday. So I think they're working that part out. But they've done the declaration and the plaque will be made once they've decided to date, but that's kind of soon. So, but it was done, it was all over the place and what was great about it was people could say, oh, like, you know, the government's talking about it, this is happening. It's like kind of like, you know, if you see a book about sobriety and somebody has it, well, it's a wet right, it's like eating healthy, it's like. But a book or a declaration, it kind of makes it like, okay, we can talk about it openly. You know, yeah, absolutely. For 11 years, wherever I've gone, when I've said I don't do it, somebody sits beside me and says, okay, how, where do I start?

Deb: 19:02

What do I do? What advice what you give them? What you tell people?

Kim: 19:07

Well, the first thing I told I remember going to a walk on a mountain during COVID for a 60th birthday and somebody brought pink champagne at 6.30 in the morning and I said they were all gonna cheer. And I said hey, wait a minute, I've gotta get my bottle of water out of the car. And one of the girls I didn't know followed behind me and she said could I have some of the water too for my glass? And I said sure, sure. And then afterwards she told me she had been sober three for two years and she said how do you do that? And I said I tell people when they ask me why don't you drink, you don't drink. I said yeah, and I'm never gonna miss another memory. So you know. And I said when people say you know, why do you drink, I said well, why do you, you know, like? So it was kind of like. She said wow, and I said I'm telling you. Once you say it a few times, it does get easier.

Deb: 19:59

It does get easier. Yes, right, I agree, I agree. Yeah, absolutely Okay. You are such a positive person. How do you turn adversity Like? How do you turn around hard times, you know, when you are feeling down, cause I, just your account is so positive, I feel like I'm a very positive person too. I think we have that in, like we're. I think we're both glasses half full or glasses overflowing. Yes, right, yes, yes, that's what I gather from all that I witnessed of you on Instagram. So, but how do you handle when, when you feel down or when you have adversity, how do you overcome that?

Kim: 20:35

Well, it's funny because just I have one son that moved out just in the last year, which I found really, really hard, and now my youngest son was gonna move out and just different things have happened. And you know, you meet some very great people and then you meet people that kind of use you a little bit and it hurts, it really hurts, right it really hurts.

Kim: 20:55

Yeah, and I've had a few things happen in the last few months and I just kind of went wow, you know. So yesterday I did a reel because it was really bothering me, you know. I just was like this negative energy and I don't do well with negativity, like I, it drains me and I I did a reel say let the person that irritates you the most be your best teacher and never be like them, and it kind of flipped my switch. So for me, I think, when I start to get down, I have to exercise more, I have to listen to more, like meditation or like, you know, a podcast or like. For me that's huge, you know, and some that are cute and funny.

Kim: 21:38

And it's crazy that every time something bad happens or something where, like, I get in those ways sometimes I'm not doing enough, I'm not helping enough people. Why can't I do more? I'm very hard on myself and then something kind of shifts Don't ask me why, I don't know how to tell Somebody will send me a note and say you know you helped my daughter or my daughter's whatever, and she's seen your account and can you help her. And then I think, okay, okay, get back up and keep going, right, I just somehow I have to say it just keeps going, you know it's going, yeah, yeah, isn't that interesting though?

Deb: 22:17

Okay, so like to hear you say, like, when you get a nice comment or something, that it does keep you going right, because we all need encouragement, even those of us who are the most positive or, you know, upbeat or whatever. We all need encouragement. I got an email today saying like I love your podcast. I can't tell you and I'm not this is not me a shout out to ask people to email me, I'm just saying like it meant so much to me because you do, you sit sometimes, you go.

Deb: 22:39

Am I like, does anybody listening or is anybody? You know they okay, right, yes, but you know you, do you get in your head a little bit like am I, am I making a difference? I want to make a difference, you know, and we can sometimes be our own worst enemy. So, like you were saying, like sometimes people hurt you and I have to say that probably the heart harder than I mean, when my daughter was sick, it was obviously it's the worst thing, but betrayal of people is so painful. That hurt that people can cause, you know, relationships, friendships, whatever is one of the most painful things I think we can go through.

Kim: 23:12

You know, I've always been one of those. What did I do? What did I say? Where did I go wrong? And then I had to, like, sit back and go. You're 63 years old. There's still mean girls or mean boys. You know what I mean, isn't that?

Deb: 23:25

true Right like what on earth. Right, I'm 52 and there are still mean girls, there are still the bullies you know, like real time. Yes, yes, not fun, it's not fun.

Kim: 23:38

I love people, I love to encourage people. I like to talk about everybody else's stuff because they end up going and helping somebody else. So people that just want to take and then not help, I get but I have to let it go. I just have to right Because they're there and it's not gonna change.

Deb: 23:57

Same same. I'm not gonna change them. Yeah, but it's been some very hard times. Okay, I could talk to you for hours. I want to come up to Canada. You will be one of the main reasons I would come to Canada, you and Sarah Kate. Do you follow Sarah Kate? Some good, clean fun. She's a lot of fun.

Kim: 24:11

No.

Deb: 24:13

Okay, you got to follow her. Mockups mocktails she's a doll. I just love her. Joanne, you have to follow her, actually, okay. So at the Mocktail Summit I had several Canadians were present. Yes, yes, and I'm trying to think Now I can't remember who else was there. There were so many people involved in the summit, but you were so encouraging to me for the Mocktail Summit. So thank you so much for your encouragement. You are just a cheerleader for everybody, so thank you.

Kim: 24:39

Well.

Deb: 24:40

I know Emma. Yes, emma from the UK was there.

Kim: 24:43

Yes, and I have so many women from the UK that they're amazing women. They really are.

Deb: 24:50

They really are. They really are. And you were on sober Dave. Is that right? You were on sober Dave. Yes, you've been on his podcast and you've been on his lives, right? Yes, yes, he was one of the first accounts I followed when I was I mean, I was probably drinking my wine, scrolling at night, you know, going like could I really not drink. You know how would I do that?

Kim: 25:08

He was one of the first people I followed and it's so weird because I was just finishing with him and I said I've got to introduce you to a woman and I said you probably go, and I was talking about you, and then he said, kim, I've got to start my life. And then we had to play some games.

Kim: 25:22

He's like goodbye, yeah, and I said now after this I was going to post it that oh, I just finished a podcast with you and then I was going to send it to him. This is the lady I was talking to.

Deb: 25:33

That is hilarious. Yes, I have followed him. I mean, he was probably one of the very first accounts that I followed. It's so refreshing to just see normal people who have just said goodbye to the booze and have carried on like you have behind you, keep calm and carry on. Sign behind you, right, that's what we're doing. We're keeping calm, we're carrying on, we're having a good time. Sober is absolutely the new cool. It is absolutely the new cool. Yes, I love your logo. Ok, when you're not drinking. So if you're not, which you're not drinking for over 11 years now, what besides water are there? Are there mocktails that you enjoy or like? Do you drink non-alcohol wine? You don't have to. I mean, for some people it's a trigger. So I never want to encourage anybody to drink if they don't want to drink non-alcoholic stuff.

Kim: 26:12

I've found one. I was a pink girl, pink rose, champagne, pink, whatever. So I love the prima facade. That's one of my presents drawing and it's easy. But I have to say now I have a few friends that are doing it more for health reasons and they just never felt good when they drank okay, period, and they're all getting into this mocktail thing. And I never did, only because it was like I had tried a few of the drinks when I first started and they were so sugary that I was having trouble. And then I met Emma right Because Emma has known for about eight years now.

Kim: 26:50

Okay, yep, so I would see her put together and then I started watching you and I was like, okay, now I could actually try things. My oldest son, Jack, does the gin. Well, the fake gin.

Deb: 27:03

Yeah, the fake gin, non-alcoholic gin, yeah, which is delicious. It's so good, I think it loves it.

Kim: 27:07

Okay, good. So there you know. And my, my Matthew, drinks the non-alcoholic beer. And at Christmas it was crazy I had bought Prima Pavet because I just figured we'll see you know through the holidays and whatever, it's delicious. And everybody drank that instead of the wine.

Deb: 27:25

It was insane, really.

Kim: 27:27

Especially my nieces and nephews, yeah they just didn't. Oh, I love that so many of them don't want to drink. But that's where my dad said here, I've got this I forget the brand, but it was a non-alcoholic gin and they were drinking it and they loved it and I said, okay, I've got to start having those kind of options because the more it's going. But at the beginning it was kind of hard, you know. It was like yeah, I've got the simple therapy, I've got that, where I find yours are much easier.

Deb: 27:55

And Emma. You know, yeah, and Emma is sober sonic. So, for anybody who's listening and she's been on, she was on the podcast not that long ago and she her Instagram is sober sonic. For anybody who's listening and wondering who Emma is, who we're talking about, yeah, she's got great recipes and she's, oh, she, like, takes it to the next level. I love, love her recipes.

Kim: 28:11

She's great, yes, so Because I saw you had done one with, like I think it was, cucumbers and apples or something. Wasn't there one that he had you do so many?

Deb: 28:21

but Kim, I don't remember anything. Literally I was getting I'll make a drink and then, like three weeks later I'll make the same one and I'm like I posted or whatever. And I'm like, oh wait, I already did that one two weeks ago. I forgot I posted about it, so what?

Kim: 28:35

would be the best one for me to try. That doesn't have a lot of sugar.

Deb: 28:39

Oh, I mean, you can do tons of stuff with the gin, gin and tonic. I mean, even you could do like a sugar-free jam, really, and put that in the shaker cup with some gin. Yeah, just like a tiny bit. So if you want to keep your sugar content content low and then add, you could add some tonic to it or whatever, but like a little jam, gin, fizz, easy, but then you can add flavor to it and then you can garnish like, let's say, you use like a blackberry jam, then you can garnish like some blackberries. You know some easy. But this is just simple, you know, but simple Like for me. I don't want to make it all difficult, like, yes, I do make things sometimes with four or five ingredients, but I like to keep it as easy as possible.

Kim: 29:15

So, yeah, yeah, Especially like when there's different people. You know, some people like gin, some people like this or like that, and I just I really feel that here it's finally in Canada we didn't have a lot of options we're finally getting like you guys. When I go to New York or wherever, oh my God, it's like yeah, there's so much. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Deb: 29:36

The market is just expanding. Every single day there's new products. Yeah, there's no shortage, no shortage of things for us and our kids to drink while we're not drinking. So okay, kim, I just love you, thank you. Thank you, thank you for coming into Thriving Alcohol Free to the podcast today. I just really, really appreciate your time.

Kim: 29:54

I wanted to show you one thing. Okay, yeah, I want to see.

Deb: 29:57

Okay, please hold. What do you have there? What is that?

Kim: 30:01

I found this book and it's called Mummy Goes to Meetings.

Deb: 30:05

Mummy Goes to Meetings, okay.

Kim: 30:07

And it's by Amy Liz Harrison, and I'm just going to read one page because I think it touched my heart so much and for all the young moms that follow you, and I cry almost every time.

Deb: 30:19

Oh.

Kim: 30:19

I'm a crier too. Life will never be perfect, but my mom is no longer numb. She began a legacy of healing for us and for generations to come, and it's a children's book for a mother to be able to read with her kids, explain why a mother would go to a meeting, so to take away the stigma. And I love to show this book just because I think when it's in a book or you see something, it makes it like okay, I'm okay to be a mom and go to a meeting or not go to a meeting or do whatever I have to, and explain to my child why I don't.

Deb: 30:56

Absolutely yeah, yeah, and that you're not alone and that you're not numbing out anymore. You're there for your kids. Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you, welcome up, friends and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, her retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, where you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide. So sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers.