Episode 26

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Published on:

8th Nov 2025

Disaster Diaries: Costco Hauls, Cookie Wins, and Cozy Saturdays

Welcome back to Disaster Diaries from The High-Functioning Disaster.

It’s Saturday — and the vibe is pure weekend chaos meets comfort. After staying up late with Brandon, Sacha sleeps in (until 11!), dives into her Miracle Morning, and heads out for a day of errands, bulk hauls, and sweet indulgence.

Today’s adventures include Sam’s Club and Costco runs, stocking up on Oikos protein shakes, Sprite Zero, and Nature’s Twist Lemonade for Mom, plus scoring Brandon a heated work vest before the first snow hits. The garage and kitchen fridges get a long-overdue cleanout (gross bowls and all), and a new Eureka vacuum mop arrives from TikTok Shop to save future cleaning days.

But the highlight? A Crumbl cookie “cheers” in the parking lot — Martha Stewart Chocolate Chip Thins, buttery perfection that Sacha officially declares the best cookie she’s ever had.

Evening plans wrap with a late dinner, a wild IU vs. Penn State game replay, and a slow wind-down yoga stretch before bed. Simple pleasures, weekend energy, and a little self-care in motion.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Costco & Sam’s Club runs (Oikos Pro Shakes, Sprite Zero, Nature’s Twist)
  • Heated vest for Brandon
  • First snow of the season (too soon!)
  • Crumbl Cookie “Martha Stewart” collab 🍪
  • No-Spend November exception: Eureka TikTok vacuum mop
  • Fridge cleanout wins (and losses 😬)
  • Indiana University vs. Penn State game
  • Nighttime yoga + weekend reset

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🧭 Key Takeaways

  • Rest matters — sleeping in can be the healthiest choice of the day.
  • Cleaning chaos is easier when you tag-team it (and laugh through it).
  • “No-Spend November” sometimes needs exceptions for sanity.
  • Celebrate small joys — like the perfect cookie or a warm vest.
  • The calm of a slow yoga stretch beats perfection every time.

⚠️ Content Note:

Casual mention of chronic illness (Type 2 diabetes), GLP-1 medication side effects, and caregiver responsibilities. Otherwise lighthearted, cozy weekend tone.

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Keywords

Disaster Diaries, The High-Functioning Disaster, Sacha Holder, daily audio journal, Costco, Sam’s Club, bulk shopping, Oikos protein shakes, Sprite Zero, Nature’s Twist, heated vest, snow forecast, Crumbl Cookie, Martha Stewart collab, weekend errands, fridge cleanout, No-Spend November, Eureka vacuum mop, IU football, yoga wind-down, cozy weekend vibes, self-care

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About the Podcast

The High-Functioning Disaster
High-functioning on the outside. Hot mess on the inside.
You’ve got the color-coded calendar, the competent job persona, the “I’m fine!” mask down to an art—and a mental load heavy enough to throw out your back. Meanwhile, life? That's a hot mess express—total chaos with zero chill and a full tank of emotional baggage. And what makes it even worse? Nearly no one’s talking about it.

Welcome to The High-Functioning Disaster, a podcast for people who are doing their best to hold it together while navigating burnout, grief, trauma, anxiety, caretaking duties, family drama, body image issues, and a to-do list that never quits.

Host Sacha Holder isn’t the disaster (neither are you!)—life is. And this show is about making space for that truth and giving ourselves permission to say it out loud. Every week, Sacha explores what it means to be deeply human in a world that keeps demanding more. Sometimes she’s flying solo, sometimes she brings along guests and friends—but the vibe is always real, raw, unfiltered, and grounded in radical self-acceptance and permission to be human.

We talk boundaries. Body image. Mental health. Emotional labor. The moments where everything feels like too much—and the ones where we catch our breath and keep going.

This isn’t a self-help podcast. It’s a self-permission podcast.
Permission to be exhausted.
To not have it together.
To be honest about what’s hard—without needing to package it as a “lesson.”

Because you don’t need fixing.
You need space to fall apart—and still be seen.
Because some of us are just trying to make it through the day.
And here? That’s more than enough.
New episodes every Monday. Come as you are. Seriously.
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About your host

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Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder is a project manager, podcast host, and bariatric patient who’s not here to pretend it’s all perfect. With over a decade of professional experience and a whole lot of lived experience, she creates podcasts that tell the truth about what it means to live, heal, and grow — through chaos, and curveballs, while keeping it together (mostly).

She’s the voice behind Life in the Bari Lane, a bite-sized bariatric podcast for real people navigating post-op life, and The High-Functioning Disaster, a show about showing up even when everything feels like too much. Through humor, honesty, and zero judgment, Sacha builds community through conversation — because no one should have to figure it out alone.