Episodes

After 18+ years together, Dave and Reese's Halloween costumes tell the story of their marriage—inside jokes, vulnerability, and intentional playfulness in midlife. Listen in as they share their best costume fails, their funniest couples moments, and why staying goofy together matters more than you'd think. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese count down to Billy Joel at MSG—but this is really about why couples need intentional nights out in midlife. They explore the anticipation of live music, favorite concerts from 18+ years together, and what it takes to keep a long-term marriage fun. A funny, honest look at shared experiences and staying connected in midlife marriage. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese tackle scary movies and the scarier truth: how little they actually remember the same way. Hear their hilarious takes on horror classics, what Reese really thinks about Hocus Pocus, and why memory gaps might be the best part of long-term love. A funny couples conversation about the moments you think you share—but maybe didn't. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Empty nest doesn't mean an empty marriage—it means a messy, joyful reinvention. In this episode, Dave and Reese pull back the curtain on what's actually happening in their household now that the kids are away at school. We're talking the real stresses, unexpected joys, and pure tomfoolery that shows up when you have to remember who you are as a couple again. A conversation about staying married long term when everything changes. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to...

After just six days at college, the girls come home for a dental appointment—and Dave and Reese seize the moment to ask the real questions about this midlife shift. What does parenting adult children actually feel like? How do couples reconnect when the daily rhythm of family life changes overnight? Listen as they navigate the messy, honest reality of the empty nest and what comes next for their marriage. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email lis...

What does intimacy and connection look like in a long-term couples relationship? Dave and Reese explore the playful side of midlife marriage by diving into their favorite drinking moments and what they reveal about keeping marriage fun. No relationship advice—just two people who genuinely enjoy each other's company (even on an empty stomach). A reminder that the joys of longevity include laughter, spontaneity, and knowing your partner inside and out. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, ...

Dave and Reese explore permanent marks, identity, and what happens when a couple decides to get inked together. With a 13-to-3 tattoo count in the Charest household, they dig into why couples choose matching tattoos at midlife, what it means to share permanent decisions, and how this one family tattoo session became a conversation about commitment and staying connected through change. A funny, intimate look at keeping marriage fun. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe...

The doodles are heading to college—and it's hitting harder than expected. Join Dave and Reese as they get real about what happens to a marriage when kids grow up. New identity, new routines, new questions. This is the honest conversation every couple should be having about parenting adult children and what comes next. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Sweet freedom meets white-knuckle anxiety. When your teenager gets their license, something shifts for the couple too—for better and worse. Dave and Reese dig into the milestone that reveals how you two actually parent together, handle risk differently, and stay connected when your kids are finally heading out on their own. A conversation about letting go, trust, and what it means for your marriage when independence becomes real. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe t...

High school graduation. New drivers. Orientations. In this season three opener, Dave and Reese are navigating the messy, emotional shift when kids stop being the daily center of gravity—and marriage does, too. Expect honesty, humor, and the kind of midlife marriage conversation that makes couples say: "We should talk about *that.*" Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Music isn't just entertainment—it's a living history of your marriage. Dave and Reese share the songs and moments that shaped their 17+ years together, revealing how couples use music as an intimate shorthand for connection, memory, and staying playful long-term. A conversation about keeping your relationship fun and alive through the everyday soundtrack. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese can't agree on food—and that's the whole point. In this funny couples episode, they explore why food fights reveal bigger patterns in marriage: whose preferences matter, how you negotiate when you disagree, and why couples stay curious instead of stuck. A lighthearted dive into marriage communication through the lens of everyday life. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

When the snow falls, distractions disappear—and real couple conversations happen. Dave and Reese pull up a chair by the fire for random questions and honest midlife marriage talk. No agenda. No advice. Just the kind of unscripted moment that reminds you why you chose this person. A couples podcast for anyone who wants to feel less alone in their everyday life. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

When a massive snowstorm hits, Dave and Reese discover what their relationship looks like when the weather forces you to slow down. In this midlife marriage conversation, they explore their totally different snow memories, why winter weather brings couples together (or drives them apart), and what their cozy-day rituals reveal about staying connected. Grab hot cocoa and settle in for real talk on the everyday moments that matter. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe t...

Dave and Reese dive into the books, shows, and conversations that shape their marriage. What you love together—and how you talk about it—reveals what keeps a couple connected. Expect honest takes on Ozark, the stories that matter, and why couples who laugh together stay together. A funny, real conversation about the everyday things that make long-term marriage work. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

We've got the funk—and we're talking about it. Dave and Reese reflect on two pandemic years that tested their marriage, mental health, and what "staying together" really meant. No advice, just honest conversations about how couples navigate shared crisis and move into what's next. This is what healthy curiosity in a relationship sounds like. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese ring in the new year in NYC—and discover that the best couple moments aren't about the big events, they're about pizza, laughter, and navigating the chaos together. From dodging Times Square crowds to finding the perfect slice, they reveal what a shared adventure really teaches you about your marriage. A funny couples podcast on midlife marriage, travel, and why some of the best relationship moments happen when you're just being silly together. Go behind the scenes, help shape ou...

Dave and Reese survived the 80s—barely. From latchkey life to playground risks that would horrify modern parents, they're unpacking grammar school memories and what they reveal about how couples see safety, parenting, and change. Funny, nostalgic, and way more honest than your typical throwback episode. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

When couples conversation goes where it wants to, magic happens. Dave and Reese jump from pear martinis to travel disasters, Halloween memories to injuries, and yes—pet stories. This is what real couples sound like: curious, laughing, and discovering each other all over again. A reminder that the best marriage moments aren't planned—they're the ones you stumble into. New episode of Manic Joy: A Funny Couples Podcast about Midlife Marriage. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. S...

Dave and Reese fall down the rabbit hole exploring how the internet transformed their 20+ years together. From the early days of meeting *before* WiFi to navigating constant connectivity now, they unpack what it means to stay intentional and connected in a digital-first midlife marriage. Spoiler: it's complicated, hilarious, and more real than you'd expect. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese dive into 71 films and shows that shaped them as a couple—from comedies that made them laugh together to dramas that sparked real conversations. A couples podcast episode that proves pop culture isn't just entertainment; it's how we connect, understand each other, and stay married fun. What's on your list? Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

Dave and Reese throw out the script for pure couples podcast chaos—no editing, no pre-planned talking points, just two people who've been married 17 years riffing on whatever comes up. This is how real marriage communication sounds: honest, messy, funny, and surprisingly intimate. Listen in and remember: nobody's got it figured out, but that's exactly the point. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.

As we age, memory lapses and misplaced glasses become part of the couple's inside joke—and Dave and Reese are here to celebrate the funny side of midlife memory loss. In this episode of Manic Joy, the hosts dive into the everyday moments where forgetting becomes a feature of long-term marriage, not a bug. Expect honest, hilarious conversation about getting older together, why shared amnesia can actually deepen intimacy, and the absurdity of bedtime shifting from 11 pm comedowns to 8:30 pm early ...

When grief hits a marriage, do you grieve together or alone? Dave and Reese share their earliest memories of loss, walk through the real (messy) feelings of grief, and explore how art became their way of processing heartbreak as a couple. A raw, honest conversation about staying connected when life hurts most—and why grief can actually deepen intimacy in long-term relationships. Go behind the scenes, help shape our shows, and more. Subscribe to the Manic Joy email list.