This post is a quick sprint down memory lane from how a “I think I’m going to host a 5-minute morning show this week” idea turned into what is happening over 6 months later. Never in my WILDEST dreams did I think my front porch chat that I joked about starting in a text to a best friend would become a treasured little corner of the internet.
This spot of the internet that helped push me to finally turn this domain into a real live website. This space that has celebrated highs, graciously honored hard things and embraced mopping and monogrammed coffee mugs. To review:
March 2020 – Launched TMS (The Morning Show). It was nameless. It was intended to be a week-long event. The goal was to host a ‘pretend morning show’ from my front porch for a while we worked to get my sister (Kiwi) home from Peru. She got stranded when the world locked down in the middle of March. To be honest, March feels like 7 years ago back.
April 2020 – Kiwi came home. We planted a garden. I celebrated my birthday. I ate a lot of cape cod chips and dip. I discovered @GoCleanCo and stripped my laundry for the first time. And shared all of this in during Instagram Morning Shows via IG Lives (which disappeared after 24 hours).
May 2020 – I started re-watching Dawson’s Creek, joined the quarantine Banana Bread train and painted the playroom. I shared my monogrammed hat and…drumroll, bought my spin mop. The spin mop that changed everything. Oh, and IG switched up IG Lives and forced me to save to IGTV and I didn’t want to and nearly quit doing the shows because I didn’t want to save my ramblings in any permanent place (ha)
June 2020 – KristinWinchester.com became a real live thing and we celebrated with my most favorite TMS episode ever. I can cry just thinking about it. I also finally got a haircut and convinced KPW to do a late night TMS to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary.
July 2020 – I joined the Peloton party and tried to convince everyone to buy Lake Pajamas during their annual summer sale; did TMS on location from the beach for a few days and our girl Taylor dropped a surprise album, which I’m still not over. If you missed the episode where I attempted to use Kiwi’s hair curling method, it’s worth just catching the ‘reveal’ of how much of a Pinterest FAIL it was for me.
August 2020 – Moving right along, August’s highlights included the water bead saga (apparently you’re supposed to use 2 tbls of beads not 2 cups), a newly discovered appreciation for Ticonderoga pencils and ongoing discussion about the rules about when to wear white jeans.
September 2020 – The start of a new season has brought extensive birthday party planning, new coffee orders (long live salted caramel cold foam) and a deep dive into royal fiction. Safe to say, while non-conventional, the last 6 months have had some bright spots.
Somehow, we are over 100 “episodes” into this crazy quarantine ‘project’, with 70+ episodes currently available. Thanks again for forcing my hand, IG. I do still wish the live comments would save on the posted episodes but so far my wish hasn’t been granted. I haven’t given up hope.
Over the last six months, I’ve shown up with hair ‘perfectly done’, in hot rollers, and super dirty and hidden under a hat. I’ve dyed my eyebrows live and worn eye patches and no make-up nearly every Friday.
I have propped by phone up on a can of Great Northern Beans for nearly 6 months as a make-shift tripod. We’ve had multiple set changes and an ongoing battle with my neighbors who choose to do yard work at 9:30 in the morning. And I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.
Remember when this was going to be a week-long project to distract me from the fact that my sister is was stranded in a foreign country? And then just a few weeks until we were done with COVID. Totally, unintentionally TMS became a treasured part of my every day. A chance to ‘hang out’ with friends for a quick morning coffee.
A community has formed. Tips and hacks have been shared. I’ve joyfully seen people befriend other people in the comments. I’ve watched as y’all have provided suggestions to other friends of the show alongside generous expressions of support and encouragement.
In reflecting back on the craziness of the pandemic, I couldn’t help but want to celebrate what The Morning Show community has meant to me. Each and every DM, email and comment has warmed my heart and shown me the power and importance of community. I’m so grateful to every single one of you.
To express my gratitude, I’ve made cups and want to give them away as surcees to the dedicated TMS friends. Thank you for showing up, for making me feel welcome and for making this little corner of the internet special.
There’s a limited quantity, so if you’re interested, go sign up here. Remember this isn’t a professional production: a Google Form, some boxes I ordered in bulk and printed labels using a recently purchased printer. The cup is a gift from me to you. All I am asking is for you to cover shipping. If you’re local, I’m going to do two socially-distanced parking lot meetups in the next two weeks. All the details are in the form.
*10:00pm EST Update: The cups were claimed way faster than I had planned. By way faster, it was a running joke that I was going to be able to give cups to the delivery people because we would have extra. Turns out, I’m going to look into a reprint and you can join the waitlist (what even is happening?!?) for a second run.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!! See y’all tomorrow at 9:30ish. Oh, and if you have any favorite TMS memories, feel free to leave them below in the comments 😉
xo,
KNW
PS: If you can’t join live at 9:30am EST, you can always watch the replays. And you never know when I might pop on for an afternoon or late night double-dip.
Well 2020 hasn’t been so bad after all! <3 Thanks for having us in your corner, KNW! Cheers to many more posts and TMS’! xo
Finding your Instagram and your Morning Show has been my best online quarantine discovery. Your show, which I watch at my daughters nap time, is the best. As a new stay at home mom, it is great to hear what your world is like as you share your stories of your twins as well as all the best products. Thanks for taking the leap and starting this show. I seriously look forward to it everyday! ❤️
You have been the brightest light during this dark time and I joyfully look forward to my post-call Friday’s so I can watch live! Thank you for being YOU and sharing this special corner of the internet with us!
Fave memory: white jeans commentary! You’re a gem KNW!
I have loved every TMS! It was so nice to have a moment to relax and “visit” about fun and serious topics over the past few months. Now hat I am back to work, I try to catch TMS live when I can but love having them on Instagram TV so I can watch as a little quiet time to myself in the evening. I also love all the recommendations and I did take advantage of the Lake pajama sale!! Looking forward to more blog posts and more TMS!
I love your heart! Tuning into TMS has become part of my “morning routine” these days. Thank you for sharing!
What I enjoy most about TMS is the community. I love how people have connected over the past few months, especially because you constantly encourage viewers to reach out to one another.
I’m grateful for the viewers who gave me suggestions for how to survive summers in Florida, for everyone’s many excellent product recommendations (and reminders to only buy what you love!), and for those who were equally excited about the potential of a “Mrs. Maisel in the Catskills” style retreat. Here’s hoping we can make that happen some day!
Thanks again for creating TMS, KNW. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed until I somehow tuned in one day back in March!
I missed out on the cups, but I still love the TMS! 😊 Keep it coming!
I found your page from Emily Ley. What was a quick click to help get you the swipe up feature has turned into a bright spot in my day. I can’t watch live now that I’m back to work, but I look forward to watching the replay while I decompress. I love your outlook and how you make everyone feel welcome. Even those that don’t know you.
TMS has help me get through some trying times by having something FUN to listen to! You are ALWAYS kind and thoughtful.
100% the bright spot of my mornings during quarantine while I work.
Wow! Are the cups sold out already?? Good for you and congratulations… they are perfect!!
TMS has been such a bright spot every weekday morning during quarantine. I am so happy you continued it and started your website! Thank you for introducing me to one of my best quarantine purchases, the spin mop! I love it! Thank you for sharing your corner of the world with all of us.
I have so enjoyed TMS. It has been a bright light during a lonely hard time during Covid. I even manage to listen most days when I am working part-time. Thanks for creating community. I am a little sad cups are gone already but I do have my Tervo’s, spin mop, monogram hat and Lake pajamas!
My favorite memory is you leaning out of the window of your parked car (not even sure this was a TMS), trying to call out to anyone listening to restock the TMS-fan-favorite sunglasses online, so you could share one of your favorites with us. It was not the deepest or most important moment of the past few months but made me genuinely laugh out loud. So thankful to hear that you enjoy this little corner as much as we do.
I love it all, and as so many have said, TMS has become a bright spot in my morning routine. Now that I am back at work, I can’t catch it live as often as before, but I look forward to watching it on IGTV. Love the cameos by the babies, the recipe, makeup, and hair tips, and fashion/style recommendations. Most of all I love when you share from the heart, your thoughts on self care, comparison, parenting and more. xo
You’ve been my personal influencer and hydrangea hack queen ❤️ My twin separated by 10ish years whom I’ve never met. I don’t catch shows live very often because work is a thing but I watch replays and I love that IG forced your hand. I’m glad your a friend living in my phone.
As for a favorite highlight… well that would 100% be live spin mopping! I was so here for that awesomeness and love my own spin mop so much now.
I knew those cups were going to go fast, you’re one popular lady KNW! TMS has brought such a delight to my mornings the last 6 months (how has it been 6 months?!) When I feel very isolated at work (started a new job right before COVID, in which I have my first private office ever and oh now I have to distance myself from my new coworkers making it twice as hard to make connections with them) this has brought me community and so much joy! I look forward to learning new coffee orders, purchasing whatever you suggest because they’re a spotlight in my life, and oh the spin mop. Thank you for continuing on with TMS.
I find the entire show hysterical. My favorite was the beach episode with your hair tutorial. I was dying. Kimberly’s hair looked amazing, and then you took yours out. Your expression was priceless. Appreciate the recommendation for the detangle hair brush.
Kristin, watching your morning show brings me joy and happiness during this odd time! My favorite episode was when you went through the Starbucks drive-thru and you called the barista by name and talked about your belief in using people’s first names, always. That says a lot about who you are and your heart and, better than your spin mop and Pixi eye mask recommendations (which you have also influenced me to get and I love both!), that is specifically what you have influenced me to do and what I carry with me from TMS. Thank you!
My favorite part of TMS is your positive attitude and life lessons. Your lessons on “staying in your own lane” and that “comparison is a bully” have made a huge impact in my life! And I’m so excited to be reminded to not compare myself to others every time I use your cup! So grateful for your corner of the internet ❤️
One ( there are so many) of my favorite episodes us when we moved from the front porch … to the back porch… to the bathroom floor ❤️
You are an absolute gem of a person and I’m so blessed to have stumbled upon this fun little corner of the internets you accidently created.
Double dips are always my favorite. KNW unplugged where it feels like we are sitting around in the kitchen with coffee catching up. I didn’t think I’d feel so to sh t with an internet friend but you’ve created something so special. Congratulations and thanks for welcoming me in!😃🎉
I love catching the show live when I’m able or watching the replay on my lunch break. Love all the product recs but love hanging out with an internet friend more. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your life with us, KNW!
I have absolutely LOVED watching TMS! I can almost never catch them live, but it’s my favorite spot on the internet to go when I’m feeling completely overwhelmed at work and need a lovely way to take a break! Even over Instagram and watching it delayed, it feels personal and relatable.
Kristin, I have kept up with you since you were the editor-in-chief of SW and was thrilled when you started doing TMS. The spring quarantine was super stressful figuring out how to do college classes and an internship from home and I enjoyed watching the show when I had time!
I can’t say that there’s been one TMS moment that’s been my favorite (although when you were talking about wearing the JoyLab leggings around people you feel comfortable touching your legs made me almost spit my coffee out because I needed to laugh), but I’ve enjoyed feeling connected to a community when feeling so disconnected in other areas of my life due to COVID. I love how you keep things real and in perspective (we all have the same amount of hours in our day). I’m still trying to work the word “delight” in to my everyday vocabulary.
TMS has also created a love of pixi eye masks (refrigerated of course), spin mops and monograms!
Thank you for sharing your corner of the internet with me!