The Middle of Everything: Recent Episodes
The Middle of Everything
We’re two friends in the middle of the country, the middle of parenthood, the middle of our careers, and basically, the middle of everything! Sarah and Claire interview moms with unique stories and share thoughts on parenting week by week.
In this episode, we rant (and rave a little) about the best and worst kids menus we have seen out there. While some restaurants phone it in with fryer friendly chicken nuggets and microwave pizzas, others are leaning in to family time with more inventive, healthy and/or experience friendly meals to start our kids on a journey toward more adventurous eating.
In this episode we talk about:
Bringing Up Bebe
Jinya Ramen Bar
15 Chain Restaurants with Kids Menus That Don't Suck
How (and Why) Restaurants are Investing in Their Kids Menus - Bon Appetit
Daniel Tiger's Banana Swirl
With summer vacations on the horizon, this week we are chatting about air travel with kids. Sarah is taking her first flight with the kiddos this summer, while Claire is a seasoned long-haul traveler, since her kids were toddlers. Claire gives Sarah some of her best pointers on screen time, snacks, and keeping little ones occupied on a long flight - and we also talk about seating arrangements, motion sickness and how to adjust everyone's expectations and roll with the punches.
This week we talked about:
Sea-Bands for Kids
Motioneaze Essential Oil Roll On
Dramamine for Kids
Our friend Paul is the Director of the amazing Rock Band program at Riverfield - producing up to 15 rock bands each school year with kids from 4th-12th grades. This week we chatted with him about ways to introduce your kids to music, tips for starting music lessons, handling recitals, and learned more about the process it takes to put together actual rock bands full of opinionated kids. We also took some great tangents into our first concerts, advice for parents who have kids that want to pursue the arts, and of course, the dreaded KidsBop.
When medical marijuana was legalized in Oklahoma last year, dispensaries, billboards and headlines started popping up everywhere we looked and became one of those "tough" conversations in many households. When our friend Abby Mashunkashey started researching the subject for an article she was writing, we invited her on the podcast to talk with us about ways to handle the conversation with our kids. Join us while we chat with Abby (with a few cameos by her adorable puppy!) about tips for talking with kids - and other parents - about safety, ways to break the stigma around medicinal marijuana, and our thoughts about some of the problematic marketing around the medicinal herb.
In this episode we talk about:
Oklahoma SQ 788
THC Universal Symbol
Children's Hospital Colorado, Marijuana: What Kids Need to Know
ince severe weather and school cancellations kept us from recording a new episode this week, we thought it would be appropriate to re-release one of our early episodes on storm prep, our kids storm anxiety and how we handle severe weather. For complete show notes, check out Episode 05!
This week we celebrated Mother's Day by sharing some traditions and fun facts from around the world, with Sarah sharing her counterpoint as a Mother's Day (and most holidays, really) Grinch. After Claire brought it back around with her Mother's Day Eve tradition, we shared some of our plans for the weekend. Maybe it's just this time of year? Is Mother's Day just one more thing to think about in May?
In this episode, we talk about:
Toy Story Trilogy
Mother's Day Eve - EPISODE 06
Anna Jarvis and other Mother's Day History - History.com
Remember that Jeopardy category called Potpourri? That's a little of what this week's episode is. We had some audio issues while recording remotely, so heads up, there are some odd cut-ins.
We are both suffering from overwhelm from the end of the school year - between the concerts, field trips, school projects due, assemblies and parties, our calendars look like a flow chart of who is doing what and when. Throw in some working mom guilt over missed events and schedule conflicts, and we are both counting down the days along with our kids.
We also share some news about an upcoming guest segment we have on the Tulsa Talks Podcast, and dive into what our dream podcast guest hosting gigs would be, including Claire's NPR dreams.
As if our kids schedules aren't enough to wear us out, we also chatted about our Pop Culture Fatigue after seeing Endgame and Game of Thrones over the weekend.
Just a little bit of everything to round out your week guys! Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
My Favorite Murder Live Shows
The Blue Whale on Route 66
Tulsa Talks Podcast
Judge John Hodgman
How Did This Get Made
In this week's episode, Sarah grills Claire about sleepover how-to...when to have your first one, what to do with that pesky sibling, and how to manage parents and kids expectations (including some rookie mistakes!). We give some of our best tips including best night of the week, how much of a plan to have, and how to have awkward conversations with parents you don't know very well.
We decided to re-release one of our favorite early episodes with Abbie Peraza, to celebrate the opening of her newest business venture, PopLife Coaching and Consulting! We couldn't be prouder to call Abbie a friend and encourage anyone that needs a push in the right direction to give her a call. From the PopLife site:
When you're living the POP//Life, you have more well-being, more confidence, more abundance, more impact and more joythan you ever thought possible. My passion is helping people live a life that POPs.I believe that work and life should flow seamlessly together into an effervescent state of being. I focus on helping people accelerate their businesses, transition their careers, improve their health and wellness, and support their employees and team members - all through the lens of living the POP//Life.
Here are the original show notes, if you are interested in the transition Abbie made from the corporate world to owning her own business and fulfilling her goals, hop to about 40 minutes in.
Enjoy!
Claire’s family has decided to host a French exchange intern next fall, so we thought it would be a perfect time to talk with Abbie Peraza, owner of Studio Pop Tulsa - since she has hosted several of her own! In addition to exchange students, Abbie has years of experience working with Au Pairs (it’s cheaper/easier than you think!), living internationally with kids (and without) and has some great tips for both! After living abroad, Abbie came back to Tulsa and got a nudge from the universe (spoiler) to reinvent her career...going from the corporate world to opening Studio Pop, a cycling + yoga studio in Downtown Tulsa. She shares her amazing story and how she made it all happen!
In this episode we talk about:
Abby Peraza and Studio Pop
Au Pair in America
Joshua Johnson at 1A and the Beyond Mother’s Day Series
Tulsa in May
Abby’s Vision Statement
Buti Yoga
Goat Yoga
Studio Pop Facebook, Instagram
This week Sarah chats with Lauren Ranalli, author of The Great Latke Cookoff about the importance of diversity in children's books. Lauren shares how she started writing her book after she found the selection of children's Chanukah books lacking for her son. Lauren also shares some of her favorite resources for finding diverse children's books, a few of her favorite titles for various age groups and sheds some light on the process of self publishing, working with an illustrator and keeping up with a side-side hustle while working full time.
In this episode we talk about:
The Great Latke Cookoff
One Bad Mother podcast
It Feels Good to Be Yourself
Living by the Page
Little Brother For Sale
We Are Grateful
All the Ways to Be Smart
Front Desk
No Fixed Address
LaurenRanalli.com
We Need Diverse Books
Read Brightly
Who Was...
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes
Mo Willems
Ruby's Worry
Grace for President
The Monster on Main Street
t's that time of year again, folks! Camping Season (at least for those of us who refuse to go when it's hot out) is upon us! Our families both enjoy camping when we get the chance (and together when schedules and weather allow) so we thought we would share our best tips on camping with kids, from toddlers to pre-teens (or whatever 9 year olds are considered). We share our favorite practices for organization, planning ahead for entertaining kids, picking the best location, meals, gear, and more - and share a few horror stories along the way. Fill us in on your favorite tips too!
In this episode we talk about:
Perot Museum of Nature and Science https://www.perotmuseum.org
The Art of the Brick
AFOL Blocumentary
Scott Family Amazeum
REI Camping With Kids Checklist
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Visitor Center
Kids Camping Cots
It's been a year since we started recording the podcast! To celebrate (and adjust to our Spring Break schedules) we found some of our favorite bloopers from over the last year! We are pulling back the curtain on some of our early recordings, how we got here with the title of the podcast, awkward intro trials, and some of our favorite tangents. We don't hold back with our guests, we also share some of our outtakes with them as well! If you've been laughing along with us since the beginning, you'll enjoy, if you're a new listener - maybe find another episode to start with. ;)
This week we got an update from Sarah about her school auction fundraiser, talked about volunteering, PTA and ways you can help out, no matter what your skill set...BEFORE a seamless segway into family photos! A recent trip down memory lane has us wondering again - what was happening in the 80s, plus thinking about how today's family photo trends will translate into our kids futures. We chatted about our family picture traditions, got weird with some 80s hair and prop trends and looked at our parents through adult eyes. We wondered what is happening with school picture backdrop options and why they have never seemed to change, and debated whether you buy the terrible ones or not.
Most of all, we are going to share our terrible family photos this week and would LOVE for you to share yours too! Post to our Facebook or tag us on Instagram, we can't wait to see them!
This week's episode was so fun! We brought in our friend, author Annie Mitchell to chat about our favorite movies to watch with our kids, had a friendly debate over the best LEGO franchise movie, and lamented the movies we inwardly GROAN when requested. We got nostalgic over our favorite childhood movies, and how we all learned that 80's PG and present day PG are NOT the same thing (what on earth was happening in the 80's with kids movies anyway?!?). From seemingly harmless movies like The Goonies to the fairly problematic Brat Pack movies, we talked about how we have talked with our kids (and other kid's parents, oops!) about language and themes in older movies that might not be considered appropriate today.
In this episode we talked about:
- Episode 20 - Gaming with Kids
- The Lego Movie
- The Lego Batman Movie
- Pop Culture Happy Hour: Lego Batman
- Detective PIkachu
- Big Hero 6
- The Last Unicorn
- The Never-ending Story
- The Incredibles
- ThePrincess Bride
- Troop Beverly Hills
- The Dark Crystal
- Girls Just Want To Have Fun
- The Goonies
- Ghostbusters
- Return to Oz
- Spaceballs
- Blazing Saddles
- Splash
- Common Sense Media
- A.E. Mitchell Books on Amazon
- That Summer Apart
- Entanglement
- Bad Things Done
We were joined this week by guest Morgan Phillips of Tulsa Talks Podcast to talk about the loss of her 11 year old daschund, Daisy. Both Sarah and Claire have experienced a pet loss (or two, or three) in the last few years, so we wanted to talk with Morgan about how she's handling things herself and with her two young daughters. We each shared our stories, discovered the origin story of Claire's stone cold heart, and had a few laughs in the process!
We talked about the different logistical scenarios that can occur around a pet's death, including making hard decisions as a family, the decision to be with them in the vet's office, what to do if they die naturally in the home, and various ways to create a memorial for them.
We shared our kids' experiences with death, and chatted about how quickly kids can move on, what they do remember after a certain age, how to talk with them about our feelings, their feelings and using the experience to teach them empathy.
Before we dove into this heavy topic, we also talked about winter burnout / cabin fever, Morgan's experience taking the city bus with her daughter and more. Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Tulsa People
Tulsa Talks Podcast
Tulsa Transit
When A Pet Dies by Fred Rogers
Air Buddies
A Bunny Named Barnaby
We took a few minutes this week to share some of our favorite tidbits of advice...from small things like epidurals, butter and comforters to life lessons about work-life balance (spoiler alert, it doesn't exist), taking care of yourself, divorces and other hard shit. What's your favorite piece of advice? We would love to hear from you!
In this episode we talk about:
Judge John Hodgman(again)
I Don't Know How She Does It
You guys, this one got weird real fast. We started off the conversation with friend of the podcast Rhonda Hinrichs talking about what happens when your kids leave for college (flying the coop - haha, see what we did there?) - how to prepare them and yourself, plus advice for raising teens and young adults to be confident, ready to take on the world and try new things.
As her kids have grown up and gained independence, Rhonda turned her hobby of thrifting into a side hustle, as a pioneer member of Tulsa's First Street Flea. We talk about her obsession with taxidermy, dead birds and other animals, and then naturally segway into her urban chickens.
From chickens to bees, the conversation took a hard left into some hilarious stories about various pets we have had as kids and adults, wild critters in our houses and the circle of life (see, we told you it got weird). Get ready to laugh!
In this episode we talk about:
The Buckhorn Museum
Urban Archaeology
The First Street Flea
Drinking with Chickens
We could have talked for hours with our guest this week, she had so many amazing stories and tips! Briana Hefley-Shepard first shares with us the story about her daughters special relationship with the train conductor that drives past the office daily, and how that story went viral after Briana posted an emotional Facebook story about what happened once her daughter started school and wasn't there to wave each day. She explains how quickly the story spread, what it was like to get bombarded with media requests, and what she plans to do with the story now that the frenzy has settled down.
Briana also shared with us how she started The Alliday Show, how it's changed over the years, and how she balances that commitment with her full time job, motherhood and multiple side projects. In addition to running that show at the holidays, she once committed to hand making 500 pins for the Philbrook Festival - and has some great insight on taking things step by step to keep sane.
We also pick her maker brain about creating with your kids, and she shares some great tips that apply to anything from sewing and art to Legos and cooking (which is more Claire and Sarah's speed).
In this episode we talk about:
Love What Matters
Reply All #123 An Ad for the Worst Day of Your Life
Philbrook Museum of Art
The Alliday Show
Episode 04 with Ashley Palmer of Retro Den
Episode 16 with Ashley Daly of Retro Den
We hit both ends of the spectrum this week - starting off with a discussion of 50 Dangerous Things to Do with Your Kids - a book gifted to Claire recently. We chat about things we have let our kids do, things that are getting phased out of many kids lives due to modern life, and look at how our younger kids tend to be bigger risk-takers than our older ones.
As a way to start the new year on a good note, we brought in Danielle Miner, LPC to talk with us about everyday mindfulness. She explains what mindfulness is, the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and ways to model mindfulness to our kids. Mindfulness is something that everyone has the tools to do - there are easy ways to start with breath, sound, eating and walking. Danielle talks about acceptance, explains what a meditation class is like, and then shares info on her upcoming Mindful Mamas class for local listeners.
In this episode we talk about:
50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do)
TED Talk - Gever Tulley: 5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do
True Detective Season 3 - Vanity Fair Article
Insight Timer App
TED Talk - Mindfulness and Parenting: Mary Ann Christie Burnside
Calm App
Meditation Classes - St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation
Mindful Mamas Facebook Page
We decided to kick the year off with a recap of our Winter Breaks...Claire's trip to the UK, and Sarah's extreme case of cabin fever. We talk about the new show Tidying Up and Claire's challenges with minimalism, and Sarah decides she needs to watch more TV. Next we share a few of our new favorite things, starting with an eyelash enhancer debate, followed by a few more of our recent discoveries! Chime in with some of your own favorite things as we ease back into the new year...we would love your suggestions!
EPISODE 35 - LISTEN HERE!
In this episode we talk about:
Tidying Up on Netflix
Rodan & Fields Last Boost
Lash Boost Class Action Suit
Castor Oil for Eyelash Growth
LashFood Mascara
Beats Wireless Earbuds
Amazon Prints Photo Books
HelloFresh
Purely Elizabeth Oatmeal Cups
In this week's episode, Sarah and Claire share our resolutions for 2019 - broken down into Personal, Parenting and Podcast. From minimalism to health goals to picky eaters and productivity, we are asking you to hold us accountable! Kick off the year with us and share your goals as well!
EPISODE 34 - LISTEN HERE !
In this episode we talk about:
"Taste Plate" for Picky Eaters
Weighted Blankets
This week we are talking holiday food - including some of our own family traditions - with freelance food writer Natalie Mikles. She shares some of her favorite non-turkey dinner ideas, her love of trying new cookies each year, and gives us some great ideas for making the holidays sweet for our kids, without stressing ourselves out too much!
EPISODE 33 - LISTEN HERE!
In this episode we talk about:
Natalie's story on Preemie Mom Camp
Kid's Cookie Exchange Tips from Tulsa Kids
Tulsa Public Schools Bean Chowder and Cinnamon Rolls
Fruitcake: Memories of Truman Capote and Sook
Trader Joes Butter Toffee Pretzels
This week's episode is so much fun! We teamed up with Thom Crowe of Tis The Podcast, a year-round Christmas movie review podcast, to debate....um, DISCUSS our favorite Christmas movies! To kick off the episode, we each listed our Top 5 Holiday movies to start the discussion. While we had some crossover between lists, we also hit on a few controversial topics. Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? Which Home Alone is the best (Claire makes a convincing case for #2)? And what are the problematic / implausisble parts of SO MANY holiday movies that could never take place in 2018? Speaking of 2018, we also dive into the Rudolph bullying controversy, the "Me Too" / "Baby It's Cold Outside" moment, and laugh at ourselves for a minute (or two). As a Christmas movie expert, Thom fills us in on his favorite non-traditional treats, including Hallmark/Netflix specials, some of the obscure Christmas/Horror genre and some unexpectedly good unknown flicks.
We laughed so hard during this episode you guys, enjoy and let us know where you stand on your holiday guilty pleasures and favorites!
In this episode we talk about:
(I'm not linking every single movie we talked about you guys, especially all the ones everyone knows. But I WILL link to the obscure/topical ones that we mentioned!)
'Tis the Podcast
Pop Culture Happy Hour Episode 'Tis The Season: We Talk Hallmark Holiday Movies
Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas
She and Him Christmas Album
Circle Cinema White Christmas Sing Along
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Northpole
Pete's Christmas
Santa's Slay
Krampas
Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski - Baby It's Cold Outside
Emmett Otters Jugband Christmas Returning to Theaters
One Magic Christmas
Paragraph
It's time for Gifts! We got tips from our resident Toy Correspondent - Jana Doyle, owner of Kiddlestix Toys - on the hottest trends in toys for 2018 for a variety of age groups. We weigh in on her picks, and talk about how holiday gifting looks for us this year. We talk about non-toy gifts (pets, event tickets, etc.) and how our various extended families handle gift giving for the adults in the family. When we share what we want for Christmas, the podcast takes an unexpected segway into beekeeping (Claire has to break it down for Sarah). Enjoy and happy shopping!
In this episode, we talk about:
Kiddlestix Toy Store
Target Sleep Poncho
Untamed Fingerlings
Harry Potter Lego Set
Harry Potter Light Painting Wand
Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit
Sloths, Unicorns and Llamas
All things Sequined
The Dangers of Secondhand Glitter Video
American Ninja Warrior Toys
Otrio Game
Robotics
Treehouse Engineering
Alpaca Rocker
Wild Kratts Live
The Cathedral Hive
My Calm Blanket
We dive into the Christmas season in this episode, starting with a controversial Eggnog conversation…then talk about both our households “no Christmas til after Thanksgiving” stance, and BlackSmallCyber Weekend shopping.
Next we chat about our favorite holiday decorations, traditions and drop a few hot tips about decorating practices, live tree procurement and overcoming kids tree OCD. Sarah shares Elf on the Shelf regrets (get out before it’s too late people) and her love of the non-chocolate advent calendar tradition she’s passed on to her kids.
Claire talks about her family’s Nutcracker tradition as well as the British Pantomime Season she grew up with, and we talk light displays, Polar Express trains, and All The Things to do this holiday season, including Santa visits, Silver Dollar City and stay-at-home activities. Tired yet? We also talk about holiday anxiety and fatigue, and how getting a tentative calendar can ease some of the FOMO.
To wrap up the first of this month’s holiday extravaganza, Sarah gives an update on her son’s Christmas list – spoiler alert, it features a pet lizard! All the feelings are happening here…
In this episode we talk about:
Owasso Tree Farm
Mark and Graham Advent Calendar
Tulsa Kids – Holiday Traditions: A Claus for Debate
LEGO Advent Calendar
London Pantomime
Polar Express Train Ride Locations
Silver Dollar City Old Time Christmas
The Christmas Chronicles
Utica Square Santa House
Philbrook Museum of Art Festival
Rhema Lights
The Gathering Place Winter Wonderland
Sarah and Claire have both been traveling for work for years - especially this fall, so we decided to weigh in on some of our experiences, starting when our kids were small. We share adventures in pumping - from the car to the hotel kitchenette - and talk about how our experiences have changed (for the better!) now that our kids are a little older. Claire gives Sarah some tips on communicating logistics with your spouse/childcare giver, including reminders and to-dos, and we talk about how we keep in touch (or don't!) with our little guys from the road. Then the best part of work travel - ME TIME! We share our favorite self care rituals, and how we make the most of it and enjoy the time to ourselves.
EPISODE 29 - LISTEN HERE!
In this episode we talk about:
Elderberry Syrup
Elder Millenial
Cozi App
You guys. We are so excited for this weeks guest! We have been big fans of the Crunchy Cocktail Hourpodcast for the last several months, and we are thrilled to have Larisa, their Crunchy Co-Host, to share with us some tips for making changes in our lives toward a cleaner, greener, healthier lifestyle. Larisa shares a little of her not-so-crunchy background, and what led her to start doing research and making changes for her family. She talks us through some Crunchy 101 points in the areas of food/dietary lifestyle, skincare/makeup products, and in-home products like cleaners, food storage and the (now) dreaded Teflon that we cook with. We also chat about talking to our kids about making good choices, toddler food shaming, and struggles with getting our spouses on board with changes we would like to make. In the overwhelming world of choices and confusing information, Larisa gives us some great tips on places to start small making changes - and how every bit makes a difference! Enjoy!!!
In this episode we talk about:
Crunchy Cocktail Hour
What Kind of Crunchy Mom Are You? Quiz
Clean 15 / Dirty Dozen
CCH Episodes 15 and 16, Skin Care and Beauty Routines
Bar Shampoo
Native Deodorant
EWG
Dr. Bronner's Soap
CCH Episode 36 - Larisa Begs Alison to Stop Using Teflon
IKEA Glass Food Storage
Think Dirty App
Things get personal when we answer some of your listener questions! We got some great ones in, from parenting advice to more about us, to random...so here we go! First we talk about how and when we each decided to have our kids (shocker - Claire had a plan!), then tackle a listener question about toddler screen time. Next we share more about how we both ended up on our career paths, and where we are today. One listener asked us for advice on tipping, from hairdressers to the UPS guy, so we both share how/what we like to give. And finally, we answer the question about why we rarely post pictures of ourselves, and awkwardly compliment each other on our looks. It got weird you guys, for real. Enjoy, and send us more questions anytime!
In this episode we talk about:
One Bad Mother Podcast
Yasmine Bleeth (see I told you it got weird)
It's all things Halloween this week as we talk through our favorite traditions and practices...starting with prep in early October! Sarah and Claire share our favorite ideas for pumpkin patches, carving kits, roasting seeds and spooky movies (for kids and grownups) to get us in the mood for the big day. Then, we get to the good stuff - costumes (for kids, grownups and family), trick or treating and CANDY! Claire's family has a big party every year so we chat about our favorite (and not so favorite) parts of celebrating.
In this episode we talk about:
Pleasant Valley Farms
Carmichaels Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin Carving Kits
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Hocus Pocus
Coraline
Nightmare Before Christmas
Curious George : A Halloween Boo Fest
Hotel Transylvania 3
Practical Magic
IT
Making A Murderer
The Keepers
Out of Thin Air
The Staircase
Evil Genius
In this week's episode, we jump into the world of ethical fashion with Kara Moseby of the Cultivated Conversations podcast and Cultivated.Fashion blog. We love the tagline behind their business: "As Cultivated.Fashion we want to come alongside women, especially moms, on their journey to living minimally and ethically with friendship, education, style, and cute clothes!"
Kara talks us through why we should avoid "fast fashion", and gives us tips for starting to think through our purchases in the sometimes overwhelming world of ethical fashion. We talk about the ways to think about purchasing in ways that are kind to people, the planet, and/or animals, the idea of Cost Per Wear, and how to get started with consignment shopping and shopping what we already own. Plus, Kara does the research for us and shares some of her favorite companies and sources for ethical fashion.
At the top of the episode, we catch up a bit - Sarah talks sick days and starting the Keto diet, and Claire shares about her oldest son's birthday party with a great new location idea!
In this episode we talk about:
ClimbTulsa
The Root Collective
True Cost
LeTote
The Tulsa Tailor
Echo Tulsa
SoBoCo Tulsa
Dress For Success
Kara's Consignment Tips Episode 2.4 of Cultivated Conversations
Thom Kelly
Patagonia WornWear
Factory 45 Marketplace
Noonday Collection
Brass Clothing
Everlane
Levis Water
We are talking Allowances, Chores, Charts and all the details on this episode...But first, Sarah shares a shame spiral about bad parenting on a first grade field trip. Then we dig into all things allowance - when to start, whether to tie it to chores, and what dollar amount is age appropriate. Whether your kids are paid for chores or expected to contribute, we talk about what chores are age appropriate and how we feel about chore charts, with a swerve into how we both navigate laundry and into Sarah's extreme Font Sensitivity (can this be a real thing?). We talk about the Spend / Save / Share outline, how (and if) to enforce it, and talk about some new apps and devices that help parent's and kids out in the age of digital money and online shopping.
In this episode we talk about:
Discovery Lab
AHHA Tulsa
The Experience
Meow Wolf
The Center of the Universe
El Guapo
Council Oak
Tulsa Historical Society
Woodward Park
Kids Chore Charts
Save Spend Share
RoosterMoney App
FamZoo App
ThreeJars App
Kiddlestix Toys
Vivofit Junior
Octopus by JOY
Spoiler Alert: This image is neither of our closets. This episode we dive into Hand Me Downs...organizing those coming in, transferring between kids and then passing on to another family. We talk how to pare it down, what to keep and what our boundaries are on familial underpants. Somewhere in there we drop a couple of handy hints on labeling, what do to with sentimental items, and our favorite places to donate once we are out of kids to wear things. To kick off the episode, Sarah chats about coffee speed, MLMs and we do a deep dive into Oklahoma's new liquor laws (wine in the grocery stores!) and the Tulsa Trader Joe's layout. Riveting, right?
This episode we talk about:
Noonday Collection
Stella & Dot
Mabel's Labels
Emergency Infant Services
Claire and Sarah catch up after a whirlwind week, talk about Tulsa's new park, A Gathering Place for Tulsa and most importantly, talk Games, Games and more Games with XPO Game Festival planner, Richard Mitchell. For gaming novices like us, we need ALL the information from him. We talk basics like gaming systems, which ones are best for kids, and he makes suggestions for everything from best games for kids, grownups, families, and more. We chat about benefits of video games including educational and learning games, as well as social and emotional benefits from player interaction. He gives us tips for playing with your kids, ways to check that the games they are playing are age appropriate, and explains what the heck is up with watching other people play games online. Join Richard November 2-4 at the Tulsa Pop Culture Expo and XPO Game Festival, and don't miss his description of the Friday night concert...it sounds amazing!
In this episode we talk about:
A Gathering Place for Tulsa
Joystiq
Pokemon Go
Kindle Fire Kids
Leapster
Jurassic World: The Game
Minecraft
Nintendo Switch
Xbox
Playstation
Zelda Breath of the Wild
Nintendo Switch Online Plan
Rusty Lake
The Room
Susan Arendt - Pocket Gamer
Yoshi's Island
Celeste
Twitch
ESRB - Entertainment Software Ratings Board
Mario Party
Use Your Words
1-2 Switch
Arms
Super Mario Odyssey
BomberMan
You Don't Know Jack
Tulsa Pop Culture Expo
XPO Game Festival
Friday Concertwith Bit Brigade and MegaRan
This week we chat with Alayna Benefield, the ultimate multi-tasker, about the process of designing and building her family's home. A designer, photographer and now sales rep by trade, Alayna's family bought land outside town and started from scratch, ultimately taking over 3 years from start to finish. We talk with Alayna about her design priorities, the struggles of doing all the contracting work, and deciding to have a second baby somewhere along the way. While they were building, their family lived in a 950 sf apartment with a toddler and eventually their second child...so we also chat about getting creative with space, downsizing, and the perks of apartment living.
Plus, Sarah talks about poop and her kids make a surprise cameo!
In this episode we talk about:
Alayna's Photography at Ruby Jewel Studio and Prairie Hive
KI andTakeForm signage
Oh, this is a weird one guys...Sarah hits up Claire for a free therapy session as we chat about Fall as a good time to reset everything from checking off to-dos that have been postponed over the summer to rearranging the house. We decide moms should have back to school makeovers (our kids get them, why not us?), and go off into a crazy tangent about white jeans, Southern Living and how photo shoots work. Claire fills us in on her family's Annual Labor Day Pig Roast and then we talk about our other fall favorites like camping, football and layers.
Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Antoinette Baking Company Release the Pumpkin
SELF Journal
Southern Living September Issue - Jennifer Garner
Prairie Hive Magazine Issue 3 - Movable Feast
Texture Magazine App
The Sense of Order
Girl, Wash Your Face
We are back from vacation! And School Started! So many things with Exclamation Points! We give a rundown of our first week back to school (spoiler alert, Sarah has had 2 meltdowns already) and talk about our upcoming juggling of Extracurricular Activities, schedules and other after school fun.
And in a new segment (?) we just share some things we are into these days. With summer over, we are reclaiming some personal time and wanted to share a few things we recommend to keep us entertained and informed, from books to podcasts to addictive iPhone apps.
In this episode we talk about:
Bringing Up Bebe
My Favorite Murder
Maximum Fun Podcasts
McElroy Brothers Podcasts
Bubble
Wow in the World
This Podcast Has Fleas
Tulsa People 10+ Podcasts You Need to Download
Museum Confidential
Citizens of Tulsa Podcast
How to Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts
Cool Mom Picks - Rusty Lake Games
Claire checks in on her Enneagram type, and we both have a bit of a personality crisis...Then we talk BACK TO SCHOOL! We give our thoughts (and a few tips) on backpacks and lunchboxes, uniforms and new shoes, supplies, after school activities, and welcome gifts for teachers (IS THIS A THING?). Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
The Road Back To You: An Enneagram Journey to Self Discovery
Whiffer Sniffers
Kiddlestix
Zappos
Insane Locker Decorations
Judge John Hodgman Podcast
We hit up Ashley Daly (the Ashley on the LEFT) for some design advice in the Great Playroom Debate, talking about ways to work with (or around) all our kids STUFF! Ashley gives us genius tips for displaying collections (aka rocks and sticks) and passing the buck to family members - as well as some ideas for purging, rotating and generally reducing the number of toys in our kids lives. We also talk about gardening and outdoor play, and it's importance in our kids development, as well as rambling on about date nights, instagram and getting deep about parenting. At the top of the show, Sarah gets some tips from Claire about cultivating R-E-S-P-E-C-T from our kids. Enjoy!
In this episode we mention:
Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Kline
Episode 04 with Ashley Palmer (the co-owner of Retro Den)
Retro Den Home Styling
Allison Lackner's Kid-Friendly Home Tour
Birthday Eve-Eve (Episode 12)
We get silly this week with our friend Brooke Knight, as she uses her fancy teacher words to talk with us about her experience with moving homes with two kids in tow (Pro Tip: touring 8 houses is too many). We also chat with her about her unique work situation - she and her husband both teach at the same school, that both kids attend as well...talk about work/life balance, could you do it? In addition, Claire is relieved that her son made it home safe from sleep away camp, and Sarah gives a foster puppy update.
In this episode we talk about:
The Humane Society of Tulsa
Camp Raven and Riverfield Country Day School
Zillow
LortondaleTulsa
The Middle of Everything Episodes 13and 14
We've got another episode with a more serious focus this week - we chat with Leah Harper, founder of Preemie Mom Camp- what Leah calls "a gathering place for preemie moms to discover tips, research and personal stories so they can find comfort and community while their child is in the NICU and beyond." Leah shares her stories with us about her 3 premature births, the loss of one of her babies, and gives us a glimpse of what life in the NICU can be like for both moms and babies. She shares tips for what we can do to support friends, family, or ourselves if we are ever faced with a premature birth, and Claire shares her story about her sons brief hospital stay after his early birth as well.
On a lighter (and completely unrelated) note, we also chat about The Enneagram (Leah is an enthusiast too!), and give Claire a homework assignment to learn her type.
In this episode we talk about:
KidzBop
H2Oasis Float Therapy
Preeclampsia
MTHFR Gene Mutation
HELLP Syndrome
Preemie Mom Camp
You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are by Rebekah Lyons
Selfie Podcast - What is The Enneagram and Why Should You Care?
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discoveryby Ian Morgan Cron
The Enneagramby Helen Palmer
We are back in the studio this week with Natasha Ball of House Sparrow Fine Nesting, who is opening up to us about her Postpartum Anxiety, "the salad incident" and how she was diagnosed, the treatments that worked for her, and the importance of therapy as maintenance for ourselves. We also chat with her about how her career path(s) shaped her family, and how she ended up with an 8 year spread between her two sons. After working in journalism, from reporter to blogger to editor, Natasha started selling knitted blankets, weavings and other textiles with her friends at Retro Den and on Etsy and has transformed it into a full time job teaching workshops, making custom commissioned pieces and opening a showroom as part of the Studios at Retro Den. We talk handmade vs. mass produced vs. vintage and how each of those can fit into our homes. Enjoy!
In this episode, we talk about:
House Sparrow Fine Nesting
HSFN Instagram
HSFN Etsy
Baby Foot
Tasha Does Tulsa
This Land Press
The Tulsa Voice
First Street Flea
Darning Samplers
Ashley Palmer from Retro Den and Kids at Work - Episode 04
Sarah and Claire both threw kid birthday parties this week, so there's no better time to talk birthday party locations, from full service to house party, celebrating at school, what we think about goodie bags (Sarah loves practical swag), gift guidelines and more! Where do you fall on the birthday party spectrum - are you a Pinterest mom or do you keep it simple? Who do you invite? Have you ever done a "no gifts" party? We also have epiphanies about Claire's "birthday eve eve" tradition and experience gifts... Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Summer birthdays - inside or outside?
When did celebrating at school even start?
Urban Campout
Dust Bowl
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert Featuring the Tulsa Symphony We would love your thoughts on experience gifts you have loved, your thoughts on birthdays, and more! Please email us or comment on instagram or Facebook!
Claire is back, and here’s what happens when our guest has a last minute schedule / technical issue...we improvise! We spent a little while in the studio this week talking work travel, checking in on camp progress (Sarah gives an updated loss tally), gardening and fostering puppies. Then we give a rundown of our Father’s Day plans (is your family pro-holiday or more last minute/low key?) and talk language immersion school and exchange student hosting etiquette.
Then as a bonus, we decided to add a conversation we had at the pre-episode about our kids underwear...you can tell we are 100% real when we know we are recording, it doesn’t sound much different! Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Georgia O Keefe at Crystal Bridges Flying Fish Restaurant The Punch Brothers Chris Thile / Nickel Creek Antoinette Baking Co. Macaron vs. Macaroon
Claire is traveling for work, so I brought in another bestie to chat with me about life...namely, what it's like to have your kids in your 20's vs. having them in your late 30's. Lisa Wakefield , owner of Jenkins and Co. Tulsa , an amazing home and lifestyle store in Tulsa - talks about pros/cons, the differences in parenting now vs. 10 years ago (hello social media!), and life in the Pinterest age, the anti-Pinterest revolution, and most importantly, Fortnite. We also chat about over scheduling, overcommitting, and starting a business when you've had 10 years out of the working world, when your kids are slightly more self sufficient. Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Jenkins and Co Tulsa
Jenkins and Co Instagram
Parents on Phones Tumblr
Scary Mommy - Why You Should Be Friends with the Oldest Mother in Your Child’s First Grade Class
Fortnite New Yorker Article
Goosebumps movie
Daddy’s Home movie
Jumanij- Welcome to the Jungle
The Flash
Fortnite Pro Gamer “Ninja”
Tulsa’s Route 66 Revival
The Enneagram: The Road Back To You
Whoorl (Sarah James) and Selfie Podcast
Claire is back for this episode, we are revving up for summer and camp season! We talk about our favorite - and least favorite - things about summer, our favorite products and camp hacks, and spew semi-correct information about ticks and tick repellants. Then we talk summer cocktails, debate whether a swim counts as a bath, and find out that Claire is a schedule robot, and Sarah’s kids are smelly hippies. Enjoy!
In this episode we talk about:
Bullfrog Sunscreen/Bugspray Combo
Sawyers Picaridin Bug Repellant
A way more informative source of info on Bug Repellant, Crunchy Cocktail Hour
Tick Borne Diseases
Sangria Recipe, stolen from Sarah’s now-defunct blog, Prairie Hive
Summer Wine in a Can - Pampellone, Underwood
Trader Joe’s Margarita Mix and Jalepeno Limeade
Natural Deodorant Success with Native!
Claire is taking a couple weeks off after starting a new job, so Sarah has recruited her friend Darla to chat about road trips, just in time for summer! Last summer, Darla’s family made an epic road trip from Kansas City to Alaska, where they now live. We chat a little about her life there - then dive into our best road trip tips, including drive time strategies, activities and bribes for the kids, potty breaks, snacks, our favorite apps and digital entertainment, must have items for the family, and what happens when everyone has a meltdown. Plus, WHY IS THERE ALWAYS A GIANT LOLLIPOP and discipline strategies on the road.
In this episode we talk about:
Alaska’s Summer Solstice
Car Games and Activities
Vintage Bingo Game
Melissa and Doug Water Markers
The Dallas Galleria
Hotel Tonight App Sit or Squat App
Leapster
Kids Podcasts - Wow in the World, Story Pirates
Wine in a Can
Claire’s family has decided to host a French exchange intern next fall, so we thought it would be a perfect time to talk with Abbie Peraza, owner of Studio Pop Tulsa - since she has hosted several of her own! In addition to exchange students, Abbie has years of experience working with Au Pairs (it’s cheaper/easier than you think!), living internationally with kids (and without) and has some great tips for both! After living abroad, Abbie came back to Tulsa and got a nudge from the universe (spoiler) to reinvent her career...going from the corporate world to opening Studio Pop, a cycling + yoga studio in Downtown Tulsa. She shares her amazing story and how she made it all happen!
In this episode we talk about:
Studio Pop
Au Pair in America
Joshua Johnson at 1A and the Beyond Mother’s Day Series
Tulsa in May
Abby’s Vision Statement
Buti Yoga
Goat Yoga
Studio Pop Facebook, Instagram
Claire introduces us to the concept of Mother’s Day Eve, and we chat with Colleen McCarty about her crazy life. With two small children, Colleen has written two novels, worked full time, and most recently, started law school! We talk about expectation management, juggling a non-traditional schedule with the help of family and friends, and what it’s like to be a mom in law school (did you know they have LOCKERS?). As if that weren’t enough, Colleen’s husband has recently decided to run for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives so we get a glimpse at life on the campaign trail. After our interview, Claire nerds out about Jury Duty, and we share some Mom Confessions...including a tooth fairy fail, bathtime awkwardness, and our least favorite bedtime stories.
In this episode we talk about:
Mother’s Day Eve
The Greatest Showman
Colleen’s Books, Mounting the Whale and The Many Names of Magdalena Cruz
The Above the Law Blog
Rusty Rowe for House District 66
Girl Attorney and the March on the Oklahoma Capitol
Voir Dire Questions
Sarah and Claire share our tips for Tornado/Storm/Disaster preparedness, make some wildly inaccurate meteorological claims, and chat about storm anxiety in our kids. We also talk about sleep struggles as Sarah shares her woes about kids climbing into her bed every night, brainstorm ways to stop the madness and preserve that all important self care ritual...a full night’s rest.
In this Episode, we talk about:
Tornado Safe Rooms
Why tornadoes hit Western OK more than the Tulsa area (spoiler alert, we weren’t TOTALLY wrong...)
Emergency Preparedness Kits from 0 to Apocalyptic
Ariana Huffington’s book, The Sleep Revolution
Sarah and Claire give a quick update on the outcome of the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, and what comes next, then Sarah rants a bit about potty training. More importantly, we talk with Ashley Palmer, co-owner of Retro Den, a vintage home store (and so much more) in Tulsa. She shares pros/cons of having your baby at work with you, and gives some great ideas for creating a shared space with a toddler and her soon-to-arrive newborn. Plus, a podcast ghost comes out of Sarah’s phone! Enjoy!
In this Episode, we talk about:
Retro Den Tulsa
Succulents at Retro Den
The Longest Shortest Time, It’s A Real Mother - Episode #143 about the Badger company’s Babies at Work program
Ashley’s DIY Sharpie Wall Graphic
Vintage Shopping around Tulsa
The Studios at Retro Den
Little Yellow Couch podcast with the Ashleys
We chat about the Oklahoma Teachers Walkout and how we are coping, chat about day trips to the Northwest Arkansas area, and then touch on everything from waffle irons to picky eaters and take a detour about natural deodorant. Enjoy!
In this episode, we talk about:
Northwest Arkansas To-Dos, including Crystal Bridges Museum and Scott Family Amazeum
Chef Steps Waffle Iron Frenzy video
In this episode, we recap our Spring Breaks - talking road trips, division of parenting labor, and spending 10 days straight with our kids. More importantly, we talk to our friend Brenda Smith about her AMAZING birth stor(ies) - one of which includes an orgasmic birth, and the other includes giving birth in a parking lot.
In this episode, Sarah and Claire introduce ourselves, talk a little about why we started a podcast, how we came up with the name, and where we plan to go with it.
We also rant about summer camp, summer for working moms…and just the whole process in general.
Enjoy!