Happy Birthday TMS

Every few weeks, someone will send me a direct message and say “Sorry but can you tell me what TMS means?” It’s a sweet reminder that I accidentally monogram most everything near and dear to me (spoiler: KPW’s actual name is Kyle).

TMS (see: The Morning Show) is the daily pretend talk show that I host live from my front porch Monday through Friday. It might be slightly misnamed as I feel it could bit more encompassing, but I think we’re stuck with it. After all, she turns one today!?!

I did a half birthday recap back in October. I re-read the post as I was working on this post and I might have gotten a little teary. So much of it still rings so true. It’s kind of wild what has happened in this little corner of the internet over the last 365 days. Clearly a lot has been happening in the world, and through all the hard and tough and challenges that so many have faced, this little corner of the internet has brought joy (and eye patches and clean floors) to many.

TMS started as a distraction and me living out a forever dream of hosting a talk show. A simple 10 minutes (ahem, 10-ish minutes) every morning, coffee in tow. I show up and share a bit of life – what I snagged in a Target pick-up order (hello my favorite heart waffle maker), a book or podcast I’ve been enjoying or a soap box moment (never forget “your lane, your rules”).

It’s wild to me that friends from all corners of the map join in every morning to hang out with me (and graciously accept that I am hardly ever on time). Our conversations are all over the place but no matter the topic, being able to show up and lean in has been a gift to me for the last 364 days.

This is not a professional production. At least once a week I appear without any make-up and occasionally still wearing my pajamas. We’ve taken TMS on field trips – in my car, the back porch, the beach and occasionally my old bedroom at my best friend Kate’s house. There have been loud birds, perplexed neighbors and an infamous interaction with our pest control service person (sorry for the confusion, Daniel).

If you want a good chuckle, go back and watch one of the first saved shows from May (forgive my ‘very overdue for a cut and color hair’, it is a SIGHT). Shows earlier than that weren’t saved because they were IG LIVE and disappeared after 24 hours. The nostalgic part of me wishes I had a video or photo from those first few weeks. But I was still in the ‘this will be a week or two’ distraction so I wasn’t thinking long-term memory keeping – ha!

It’s hard to wade through 250+ season one shows to find the best and brightest, but I did a little digging:

• The Royal Interview Recap is the current most watched episode. I had thoughts and shared them for nearly 20 minutes. Whoops.
• The Beach Episode with Kiwi is will live on forever because of my failed curls.
• Late Night shows with KPW are a crowd pleaser. Everyone thinks KPW is ‘so funny’. Ahem.
• As are KPW Co-Hosted shows especially at Christmastime.
• The CFA Episode is gold. (Never ever have I REALLY WISHED live comments saved more because holy moses. Y’all have feelings about your Chick-fil-A menu.)
• Everyone knows Daniel thanks to the Pest Control Episode
• I wish I had taken better notes on particularly good soapbox moments but this Sparkling Soda Soapbox is a good one.
• This Trader Joe’s Episode is feisty thanks to a McDonald’s Coke and some solo shopping time.
• If you need a Monogram Education with show-and-tell, this episode is for you.
• Friendship has been discussed more than once; this Friendship Train Episode is a good one.

The babies have made regular guest appearances. Someone’s husband decided he needed his own male version of DIFF sunglasses after hearing me express my undying love from the during a show. We have swapped surcee boxes across 43 states and ornaments between hundreds of ‘friends’. I accidentally started a show while waiting in the Starbucks Drive-Thru line.

I’ve dyed my eyebrows during more than one show, made cinnamon rolls live on air and frequently bring my hot rollers and put them in while chatting. So far I have yet to fall while attempting to stand in my rocking chair to show off the bottom half of my outfit.

I’ve upgraded from the can of beans that was my phone prop for are large majority of the season, but TMS has maintained it’s quirky, “show up just as you are” feeling over the course of 250+ live shows. The Morning Show has become a part of our daily rhythm but I know it won’t last forever. This season of life, while we are in active production, will be one I remember with deepest gratitude.

Whether you’ve seen every show, catch one every now and then or have just watched your first episode, THANK YOU. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can confidently say that TMS would not be the same (and would have lasted the anticipated 5-10 episodes) without this community.

With love,

KNW

PS: Not a “show” but this circus recording of me using my spin mop is both entertaining and now a bit nostalgic because the babies look so young.

PPS: Have a favorite episode or moment I missed? Feel free to share in the comments below. xo.