I am finding as I get older that my attention span seems to be diminishing. Maybe it’s four kids, or my mile-long to-do list, or just the natural side effect of an aging brain, but I have a hard time even watching a movie from start to finish in one sitting these days. So, I’ve turned to Podcasts for entertainment. They work because I can listen to them in small doses and I can listen while driving, cooking, cleaning, etc.

I’ve compiled a list of Podcasts I’ve been enjoying, the 12 Best Podcasts I’ve encountered so far. They include a variety of interests and topics, so you’re sure to find something on this list that will appeal to you!

P.S. I didn’t include Serial or This American Life. I love TAL and, I totally obsessed over Serial – if you haven’t been sucked in yet, start there.

12 PODCASTS Worth Listening To

1. The Lively Show

A weekly podcast designed to add a little extra intention to your everyday. Episodes touch on various aspects of our lives including possessions, personal habits, relationships, and career. Entrepreneurship and online business also appear from time to time. There is a special emphasis on the blogging world and each episode is designed to uplift, inform, and inspire

2. Elise Gets Crafty

Elise introduces you to smart, interesting people who are good at what they do and willing to share their expertise. The episodes are fun, inspiring and thought-provoking.

3. The Longest Shortest Time

You read all the books, took all the classes. So how come when your baby arrived, you still felt completely lost? This American Life contributor Hillary Frank interviews new parents about their struggles and how, in the long run, that early never-ending crisis mode winds up feeling like a blip.

4. The Art of Simple

Cozy conversations with Tsh Oxenreider. She chats about food, good music, writing, books, bedtime routines, and the challenges of working from home. She also answers listener questions and shares fun stuff that makes life a bit simpler… it makes you run faster; it makes laundry folding more fun.

5. Joy the Baker

A candid  weekly podcast about recipes, photography, blog life, being a mom, not being a mom, married life, dating life, and… candy. It’s silly. It’s funny, and they want you to be there.

6. 99% Invisible

Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible (99 Percent Invisible) is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.

7. Sarah R. Bagley

A recovering perfectionist in pursuit of living a B+ life. She shows up even when she’s afraid.

8. The Memory Palace

Short, surprising stories of the past, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hysterical, always super-great. For history buffs, fans of public radio shows like This American Life, Radio Lab, and whatnot, and for all admirers of things that are super-great.

9. Books on the Nightstand

Illuminating conversations on books and reading.

10. Spilled Milk

Join your jovial (possibly too jovial) hosts, Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton, for recipes, cooking tips, winning lotto numbers, and catfights.

11. The Unmistakable Creative

CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH INSANELY INTERESTING PEOPLE. From performance psychologists, graffiti artists, ex-cons, best-selling authors, world-famous cartoonists, and media powerhouses, we uncover the story and turning points that have made them unmistakable.

12. Writers on Writing

A weekly podcast by authors on writing and getting published.