January Favorites: Love, Family and Real Connection
January brought conversations about love, parenthood, and what it means to truly show up for each other. Here's what resonated most with our community.
There's something about January that makes us want to start fresh, check in deeper, and reconnect with what really matters. This month, our community showed us exactly what that looks like through the conversations you saved, shared, and kept coming back to.
Here's what moved our community most as we stepped into 2026.
{THE AND} Nandi & Connor: A Love That Exceeded Every Expectation
The first {THE AND} episode of 2026 set the tone for January. Nandi & Connor sat down to play the Couples Edition and talked about something every relationship faces: how do you stay close when you don't always agree?
Their answer was simple. Kindness. Not as something extra, but as the foundation.
They opened up about emotional safety, about feeling heard mattering more than being right, and about growing together even when their belief systems don't align. This episode reminded us that love isn't about agreeing on everything. It's about showing up with kindness and choosing connection over being right.
{THE AND} Keisha & Andrew: Marriage - Who We Are Now
Some pairs become part of the family. Keisha & Andrew are those people for our community. This was their 8th {THE AND} conversation, and over a decade of showing up, we've watched them navigate love, loss, creativity, and now parenthood with two kids.
This time, they opened up about what so many parents are living through: staying connected when you're stretched thin, navigating conflict without losing each other, and honoring where you each came from while building something new together. Their answer? Humor, honesty, and choosing each other even when it's hard.
What moved us most wasn't just the conversation itself. It was seeing how many of you have grown up alongside them. That's the power of these conversations. They don't just exist in one moment. They become part of your story, markers of time, reminders of your own growth. Keisha & Andrew's journey has been unfolding alongside yours, and that connection runs deep.
{THE AND} Adrian & Aaron: Your love feels like life
"Your love feels like life." That's how Adrian described his father's love. Three words that said everything.
The moment hit because it was real. A son trying to capture what his dad means to him, searching for the right words, and finding the truest ones. Not dramatic or over-explained. Just honest.
This had some of the highest engagement of the month because it reminded people what matters. The love between a father and son. The moments when someone sees you clearly and tells you what you mean to them.
Sometimes that's all we need.
Watch {THE AND}
We’ve been creating {THE AND} since 2014, sharing conversations that explore real relationships and the space between people. Each episode offers an intimate look at how we connect, communicate, and show up for one another.
New episodes premiere every week on YouTube, with conversation clips shared daily on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Whether you’re discovering {THE AND} for the first time or have been watching for years, there’s always a conversation that might shift how you see your own relationships.
Play {THE AND} card game
Watching these conversations often makes you want to keep talking. To ask better questions, listen a little longer, or create space for deeper moments in your own relationships. That’s why we created the {THE AND} card games, using the same questions you see in our episodes.
{THE AND} Family Edition - The edition played by Adrian & Aaron. Designed to bring families together across generations, it creates space for stories, reflection, and conversations that help everyone feel seen and heard.
{THE AND} Couples Edition - The edition played by Keisha & Andew and Nandi & Connor. Created for couples who want to connect more intentionally, these questions turn everyday time together into moments of closeness and understanding.
That's January. Thank you for being part of these conversations, for sharing the moments that moved you, and for bringing this kind of connection into your own lives. We're honored to create this space with you.
Luana Costa
The Skin Deep Head of Social Media & Community
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