The Mom Hour - SoundSage

We talk about cooking a lot, but not always about the tools that make cooking easier or more fun. It’s the little things that make a big difference. Today, Meagan and Sarah are talking about the tools and gadgets we love the most (and which ones we could do without). Join us!

HELPFUL LINKS:

Episodes that pair well with this one:
Kitchen Storage & Organization: Episode 312
More Than Mom: Our Fantasy Kitchens
Small Steps Toward Sustainability In The Kitchen
Check out our new blog post which contains our Contributors favorite kitchen gadgets and gear!
Sarah loves her Burr Coffee Grinder
Products That Have To Do With Food Prep:
Mixing Bowls with Airtight Lids
Good Grips 5 LB. Food Scale
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
KitchenAid Pasta Roller
Products We Cook With
Dutch Oven
Meater Digital Thermometer
Rice Cooker
Caraway Saute Pan
Caraway Baking Sheet
Cuisinart Immersion Blender
Small Silicone Spatulas

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
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Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OXO Good Grips 5-lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display

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Meagan and Sarah had fun-filled travel in August before saying goodbye to summer. The Powers family traveled to the East Coast for a week of multigenerational state-hopping served with a side of bug bites and butt bruises! And Meagan officially opened a bookstore in Manistique, MI, right after surviving a 20-mile hike with her siblings and their spouses. Now we’re back, shifting from summer-mom to school-year-mom, and sharing our “laundry basket of hopes and aspirations for Fall 2023” with all of you. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Summer So Far (& More To Come!): Episode 424 is a companion episode to this one.
Meagan officially opened a bookstore!
Sarah visited a Zero Waste Store in Santa Barbara that’s inspiring her use of old jars for candles.
Meagan’s hosting a retreat this October. If you use the code MOMHOUR you can get 15% off now through August 30. Registrations for in-person close Sept 10, 2023.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
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Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Sarah stopped dyeing her hair and growing out her natural grays last fall – almost a year ago – and Meagan is contemplating a new style! Today Meagan asks Sarah ALL the gray grow-out questions to catch up on the progress, and talks about why she might be ready for a new look herself. We also share some hair wins and hair woes from this season of life, and how it’s different from early motherhood. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Sarah has been enjoying Prose for her shampoo and conditioner.
Meagan bought a Tyme curling iron and left it at her sister-in-law’s but she’s determined to try it again!
Sarah bought this Hot Tools Pro Artist Nano Ceramic Tapered Curling Wand after her most recent haircut
You may like these episodes from the archives:
More Than Mom: Hair Styling & Hair Maintenance
More Than Mom: Jewelry!
Cozy Winter Style Inspiration: Episode 397
More Than Mom: Empties! (Products We Love So Much We Want More…)
More Than Mom: Fall Style Update
Meagan’s hosting a retreat this October. If you use the code MOMHOUR you can get 15% off now through August 30.

Click here to visit the slideshow of hair photos!

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Lizzie will have all three kids in full-time school for the first time and wonders how her identity as a stay-at-home mom will shift. Shelby, mom of three, is sending her oldest to kindergarten and struggles with the idea that the bell schedule and school calendar may dominate her family’s life. Helena’s 8-year-old has sensory issues and they battle over brushing hair and getting dressed; with the school year approaching, Helena looks for a happy medium between allowing her kid autonomy over how she looks and requiring a baseline of “clean and groomed.” Finally, Hannah asks Meagan and Sarah how to motivate kids to get out the door on time each day. Join us for more back-to-school listener questions!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Last week’s Back-To-School Listener Questions & Our Advice episode
MORE listener questions from the archives
Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Back To School: Episode 377
Here are a few episodes/blogs on Morning Routines:
Inside The Morning Hustle: Voices 64 With Lisa Payne & Ashley Schafluetzel
House Rules For Easier Mornings: Episode 328
Morning Routines & Morning Makeovers: Episode 222
Making Mornings Easier: Episode 67
Is Your Preschooler Ready For The First Day? At-Home Routines To Practice Before School Starts
Meagan’s hosting a retreat this October. If you use the code MOMHOUR you can get 15% off now through August 30.

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Stephanie worries she didn’t “do enough” for her children this summer by way of plans, vacations, and educational activities. Sara asks if we have rituals for ourSELVES to mark the back-to-school season, and Caitlyn needs tips for encouraging a painfully shy kid to walk in the preschool door. Kaylee wonders how to transition from opting out of homework in the younger grades to helping an older elementary student learn to prioritize it. Finally, Melanie asks how to politely decline an invite to a party your child doesn’t want to attend (without lying). Join Meagan and Sarah as we provide reassurance and advice for this back to school season!

HELPFUL LINKS:

Separation Without (Quite So Much) Anxiety: Episode 382
Our team member Chaunie wrote 10 Things I’m Looking Forward To Doing The Day My Kids Go Back To School.
For more on Sarah’s homework mentality, check out Homework: At What Cost? Episode 45.
MORE listener questions from the archives
Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Back To School: Episode 377
Meagan’s hosting a retreat in October for mid-life moms. You can attend virtually or in person. If you use the code MOMHOUR you can get 15% off now through August 30.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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We’re Baaaack! It’s been about a month since you’ve heard from present-day Meagan and Sarah and we have lots to share. Find out where we’ve traveled this summer (so far), how Sarah has done some outdoor adventuring in spite of herself, what the status of Meagan’s small town bookstore venture is, and what else we have planned before the new school year begins. Join us for a friendly catch-up episode!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Meagan started off the summer getting hitched! If you missed it, we discuss it in More Than Mom: Weddings.
Meagan visited Oswald’s Bear Ranch in the Upper Peninsula with Clara.
Sarah and her family enjoyed visiting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland Oregon this summer.
Meagan is utilizing 23andme and Ancestry for filling in some unknowns about her family.
Meagan’s book store is opening in Upper Michigan late summer/early fall! Have a listen to learn more about it.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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News flash: even if it looks like other parents have all their you-know-what together when you feel like you don’t, that’s almost never the case. We’re all flying blind most of the time – and better off when we acknowledge it! In today’s episode, a response to Tuesday’s classic replay, regular contributors Katherine and Lisa discuss how no two children are the same and how they’ve accepting that it’s OKAY to parent each child differently has made life easier. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already listened to Tuesday’s episode, we recommend starting there before hitting play on this one!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Follow Katherine DeVries on Instagram
Follow Lisa Payne on Instagram
Enjoyed listening to Katherine and Lisa? Here are episodes from the archives featuring them:
Seasonally-Inspired Homemaking & Parenting: Voices 79 With Katherine DeVries
What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries
Books We’re Loving Lately: Voices 72 With Joanna Martin & Katherine DeVries
Constantly Connected (The Joys & Challenges Of Parenting In The Smartphone Era): Voices 83

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Visit our website
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Sometimes, you just need to hear that it’s all going to be OK. That you’re not alone. That what you’re doing matters. In this classic replay of Episode 100 from 2017, Meagan and Sarah offer some of our most oft-repeated pieces of advice and encouragement – because no matter where you are in your parenting journey, it never hurts to be reminded that you’re doing a good job. Join us!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Meagan wrote the blog post: You Probably Won’t Remember This Later…And That’s OK.
Meagan and Sarah reintroduced these “mom truths” in episode 369.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Taking walks, eating healthy and staying hydrated are just a few small things that can help save your sanity while coping with sleep deprivation. And while it sounds simple, it’s easier said than done. In today’s episode, regular contributors Kia and Emily discuss how they survive the long nights, early mornings and short stretches of sleep that are so common during the early stages of motherhood. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already listened to Tuesday’s episode, we recommend starting there before hitting play on this one!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Follow Kia Hammond on Instagram
Follow Emily Roark on Instagram
A few episodes from the archives featuring Kia and/or Emily:
What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries
Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond
Preparing Kids (Of All Ages) For A New Baby: Voices 67 With Kia Hammond
Teen Parents, Parenting Teens (Young Motherhood, Raising Teen Girls & More!): Episode 414
Emily used a Hynobabies sleep track for her toddler to help her fall asleep (didn’t work for her toddler, but maybe it will for you!).

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Not sleeping? You’re not alone. In today’s replay of 2017’s classic episode on sleep deprivation, Meagan and Sarah offer helpful tips for making it through the day when your nights are long and, uh, eventful. Whether you have a new baby, a kid with bad dreams, or a struggle with insomnia yourself, we’re here to help. (If we could bring coffee, we’d do that too.) Enjoy!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Coping Tips for Sleep-Deprived Moms (Sarah wrote this article that we follow along with in this episode.)
If you enjoyed this episode, and on the struggle bus about sleep, you might like:
More Than Mom: Sleep!
Will I Ever Sleep Again?: Episode 301
What our friend Kelsey from The Girl Next Door podcast learned from her sleep coach (rising*shining)
Sarah recommended checking out Dr. Catherine Pearlman’s website,The Family Coach to help moms and dads with typical parenting issues like sleep.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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When they’re tiny, babies and toddlers need us so much that “spending time” together is mostly about fulfilling their needs. But as kids get older and more independent, how do we prioritize time together in a way that naturally suits each kid’s (and each mom’s) personality and needs? In today’s episode, regular contributors Joanna and Joanne discuss how they approach one-on-one time with their kids (spoiler alert–it can be super simple) and how sometimes, WE can be our biggest road blocks to making it happen. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already listened to Tuesday’s episode, we recommend starting there before hitting play on this one!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Follow Joanna Martin on Instagram
Follow Joanne Ruelos Diaz on Instagram
Joanna mentioned Kathryn Whitaker, a blogger with six kids, who blogs about spending time with each child (here’s where Kathryn talks about 10 year old trips)
Joanne mentioned doing anti-coloring books with her son.
Interested in learning what Harry Potter House you’re in? Joanne and Joanna took the quiz to find out they are Huffelpuffs!

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If the idea of “special time” feels impossible, impractical, and a little bit guilt-laden, you’re not alone. Spending one-on-one time with your kids is both valuable AND wildly difficult, and as moms of many kids, Meagan and Sarah are here to unpack why. In this classic replay of Episode 86 from 2017, we share why a good-enough approach to quality one-on-one time has helped our own relationships with our kids, and how (like, literally, HOW) we manage to make it work. Join us!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Access show notes from the original episode (includes links we mentioned!)

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The school art is coming in from every direction. The hand-me-down clothing complicates wardrobe systems. And the overwhelming gift-giving throws toy organization out of whack. In today’s episode, regular contributors Jayme and Jennifer speak to their tips and tricks for managing all of the clutter in the house that comes with having young children. Plus, an update on Marie Kondo’s status of a tidy home with children–and how we feel about it!

If you haven’t already listened to Tuesday’s episode, we recommend starting there before hitting play on this one!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Follow Jayme Sherrod from The Mom Hour team on Instagram
Follow Jennifer Carrol from The Mom Hour team on Instagram
Listen to the Stuff, Junk & Things episode that inspired this one
Jayme mentioned loving these magnet clips to keep kid artwork organized
Jennifer recommends the book How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.(This is an affiliate link)
You may enjoy Stacy Bronec’s blog post Strategies For Sorting & Storing Kids’ School Papers & Artwork

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Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
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Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
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Goody bag treasures, generous grandparent gifts in every shade of plastic, and inexplicably precious (to someone) “junk” – it’s the stuff of motherhood! In this replay of Episode 35, Meagan and Sarah share our strategies for minimizing the intake of “all the stuff,” ideas for reasonable purging, and how to organize the things you decide to keep. Enjoy!

All month long we’re bringing back some beloved episodes from the early years of The Mom Hour – with fresh bonus conversations dropping every Friday on the same topic! Here’s a playlist of some of our very favorite classic oldies – and here’s a full list of every episode in chronological order.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Here’s a link to the original episode
Sarah’s Neato robot vaccuum is still going strong – 7 years later! (Here’s an affiliate link to an updated version)
You can still read the Facebook thread Meagan talked about from 2016 about Marie Kondo’s method
We discussed the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (affiliate link)

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Meagan got married! On a raft! Today we talk all about it (and more)! Meagan shares the details of her Memorial Day wedding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including how Sarah came to the rescue (from thousands of miles away) with one of the most important details. Plus, we reminisce about planning our weddings, and share what we love the most (and least) when attending others’ nuptials. Enjoy!

HELPFUL LINKS:

Meagan got married at Palms Book State Park in the UP. On a cool raft!
Sarah recorded a wedding message for Meagan on this episode of The Reinvention Podcast.
In case you missed it, Meagan shared relationship and engagement stories in More Than Mom: Special Man Friend Gets Promoted!
Meagan and Eric’s wedding photos!

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Being a mom in 2023 means having a device connecting you to the world, wherever you go. It isn’t all bad or all good – but it does impact our parenting lives at every turn. Join Kia and Jayme, moms of kids ages toddler to teen, as they chat about the good, the bad, and the ugly of being constantly connected – plus offer some tech-positive suggestions for managing smartphone use when things start to feel out of balance. Enjoy!

The Mom Hour Voices is a special series on The Mom Hour, showcasing diverse voices from across the motherhood community. Click here to browse all past Voices episodes, which include conversations with and between members of our contributor team, plus expert interviews and conversations with moms from our community. Meagan and Sarah will be back on Tuesday!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Get to know Kia Hammond
Get to know Jayme Sherrod
Interested in putting your screens down more? Read this article for tips!
Episodes from the archives featuring Jayme or Kia
Getting Outdoors With Kids: Voices 75 With Jayme Sherrod & Jennifer Carroll
OMG We’re Sick AGAIN?!: Episode 389
What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries
Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond
Preparing Kids (Of All Ages) For A New Baby: Voices 67 With Kia Hammond
Teen Parents, Parenting Teens (Young Motherhood, Raising Teen Girls & More!): Episode 414

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

Visit our website
Check out deals from our partners
Follow us on Instagram
Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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You’ve got holiday parenting questions, and Meagan and Sarah have answers. In this very merry Listener Questions episode, we tackle things like how to make the magic happen for your littles while traveling and spending Christmas at grandparents, how to coordinate and facilitate sibling gift giving, how to keep a curious kitten (or two) out of the tree (this is our reality this year!) and suggestions for how to handle the post-holiday blues of packing away Christmas. Join us!

About Our SponsorsTroomiTroomi is a safe and affordable phone that grows with your kids, giving you tons of parental controls and built-in features to keep kids safe.

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VegamourVegamour is a holistic approach to hair wellness that incorporates clinically tested plant-based ingredients that work in tandem to promote healthy, beautiful hair naturally.

Go to vegamour.com/themomhour and use code themomhour to save 20% on your first order

Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode* We have Gift Guides for just about anyone on our Blog this holiday season. * Want more on the Cat V. Christmas Tree Topic? Our Facebook Community had lots of advice for handling a curious kitty interested in the tree. * We have more Listener Questions, Holiday Edition Episodes! Check these out from the archives: Episode 79, Episode 134, and 2018 Holiday Edition. * Sarah wrote an essay titled “Christmas Trees On The Curb” about the bittersweet feelings of putting away Christmas. * Don’t miss our Instagram Live tomorrow!

Continue the conversation:
Instagram | Private Facebook Community (be sure to answer the membership questions!)

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Got resentment? Managing anxiety? Filled with hope? You’re not alone. The holidays provide a colorful snack platter of emotions – many of which we experience within a single day (or even moment!). Today it’s our honor to bring you the voices of eight moms, each of whom explores a different holiday feeling: anticipation, overwhelm, nostalgia, grief, anxiety, wonder, resentment and hope. In addition to our contributing voices, Meagan and Sarah also chat about our own hopes and feelings about Holiday Season 2022. Grab a cozy warm beverage and settle in!

About Our SponsorsTroomiTroomi is a safe and affordable phone that grows with your kids, giving you tons of parental controls and built-in features to keep kids safe.

Use code THEMOMHOUR at shop.troomi.com for $75 off the purchase of any Troomi device.

VionicVionic has the most supportive shoes…ever. Their arch support technology is designed for all-day wear, so that your feet can be comfortable no matter where you are going.

Go to vionicshoes.com/themomhour for free shipping.

PinnaPinna is the only audio on-demand streaming service for kids 3-12, with podcasts, audiobooks, and music all in one safe place with no ads, and no staring at a screen. Just listening.

Go to pinna.fm/promo and use the promo code THEMOMHOUR for 50% off your first annual payment

Hiya HealthHiya is a daily children’s vitamin that’s stronger, cleaner, and tastier — made from a blend of 12 farm-fresh fruits and vegetables and 15 essential vitamins.

For 50% OFF your first order go to hiyahealth.com/MOMHOUR or enter code MOMHOUR at checkout.

Links We Mention (Or Should Have) In This Episode* We have Gift Guides for just about anyone on our Blog this holiday season! * Don’t miss our Instagram live on Wednesday, December 14. It’s all about our fun, fluffy holiday habits! * You can read the essay Sarah wrote for The Happiest Home Blog in 2012 (and published in The HuffPost in 2013) about the emotional experience of being a mom and feeling responsible for creating new, family traditions during the holidays. Or you can listen to it here. * The following Mom Hour Contributors are featured in this episode + Jennifer Carroll, mom to twins from Oklahoma, read her essay, Anticipation + Stacy Bronec, mom of 3 from Montana, read her essay, Overwhelm + Emily Roark, mom of 3 from Indianapolis, read her essay about Nostalgia + Kia Hammond, mom of 4 from Central Pennsylvania, read her essay, Grief + Joanne Ruelos Diaz, mom of 2 from New Jersey, read her essay, Anxiety + Chaunie Brusie, a mom of 5 from Michigan, read her essay, Wonder + Joanna Martin, mom of 3 from Dallas, read her essay, Resentment + Sandy Hsu, mom of 2 from from LA, read her essay, Hope

Continue the conversation:
Instagram | Private Facebook Community (be sure to answer the membership questions!)

Listen to More Than Mom Holiday Episodes!Hit Play On One Of These Episodes:

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Planning a festive, event-filled holiday season but worried about having the budget to make it all come together? Meagan and mom-of-four (and regular contributor) Lisa Payne join forces in today’s episode to share how we stretch our budgets in order to create all the behind-the-scenes magic that takes place in our divorced households with large broods. Join us for all our best tricks (and our Mom Hour Facebook Community’s tips) for hitting your food, travel, decor, entertainment and gift budgets this year. Enjoy!

About Our SponsorsSkylight FramesWith Skylight’s smart family calendar, you can sync all the different calendars your family already uses and display them together on a beautiful, touchscreen display.

Get $20 off your purchase of a Skylight Calendar when you go skylightcal.com and enter code HOUR.

Athletic GreensAG1 by Athletic Greens is the category-leading superfood product, bringing comprehensive and convenient daily nutrition to every body. The AG1 powder from Athletic Greens is lifestyle-friendly whether you eat keto, paleo, vegan, dairy-free or gluten-free, and contains less than 1 gram of sugar, no GMOs, no nasty chemicals or artificial anything.

Go to athleticgreens.com/momhour for a year’s supply of Vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase of AG1.

Stitch FixStitch Fix makes shopping for clothes so easy. Take a style quiz, then Stitch Fix’s expert stylists will find items exclusively for you. Keep what you love and send back what you don’t.

Go to stitchfix.com/themomhour to get $20 off your first purchase

LomiLomi is an electric countertop composter that turns scraps into dirt in under four hours. If you want to reduce food waste and try composting in your kitchen, Lomi makes it easy!

Head to LOMI.COM/THEMOMHOUR and use the promo code THEMOMHOUR to get $50 off your Lomi

Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode* We have Gift Guides for just about anyone on our Blog this holiday season! * Meet Lisa Payne, mom of four, and Mom Hour Contributor. * Meagan has used the Flashfood App to quickly and easily find food that saves her money while helping to reduce food waste. * Meagan mentioned the Gift List App which keeps track of your gifts for each person and a running total of Christmas spending for you. * Read all of our listener’s Best Holiday Budgeting Tips from our Facebook Community. * You don’t want to miss Lisa’s recent blog post “Creating An Experience-Based “Kindness Advent” Tradition with Kids” on our website. * Lisa and Meagan connected over being divorced moms of many children in Episode 341, Home For The Holidays With Little Kids & Big Kids.

Continue the conversation:
Instagram | Private Facebook Community (be sure to answer the membership questions!)

Listen to More Episodes On Budgeting!Hit Play On One Of These Episodes:

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“Mom, is Santa Jesus’s grandpa?” If you’ve found yourself in the (somehow surprising?) position of Adult In Charge Of The Holidays, you too might be on the receiving end of kids’ questions about what’s going on, exactly, with all these rituals and traditions. The answers don’t always come easy, because even as adults it’s not always obvious how (or whether) to carry our own family of origin’s traditions into a new generation, how to merge faiths and cultures with our partners, and how to explain it all meaningfully to our kids.

In today’s Voices episode, Sarah chats with three members of The Mom Hour team about bringing traditions forward from the past, creating new ones that feel right for right now, and navigating interfaith and intercultural dynamics. It’s a vulnerable, nuanced, and sometimes funny topic, and while we don’t pretend to have every aspect represented or covered today, we invite you to join us as we learn a little from one another!

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Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode* We have Gift Guides for just about anyone on our Blog this holiday season! * Meet our contributors featured in this episode: Catie Parrish, Joanne Ruelos Diaz and Katherine DeVries. * Catie is a devout coffee drinker. She loves to ground EightO’Clock coffee beans each morning. * Joanne shared how much she loves genmaicha tea! Here’s another link to one of her favorites. * Catie shared how she incorporates activities in her home throughout the holidays including the Catholic traditions: The Advent Wreath and St. Nicholas Day. * Katherine and Sarah both recommend attending The Winter Fantasy Sawdust Festival if you live in Southern California * Katherine suggests checking out this kid-friendly, jewish recipe website for all your holiday baking and cooking needs. * Catie likes to incorporate this Chocolate Mousse and this Polish Cookie into her family holiday traditions. * Joanne’s family and friends Eat 12 Grapes for good luck at midnight to ring in the New Year. * Sarah’s family searches for the almond in this Danish Almond Rice Pudding recipe every year on Christmas Eve!

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Planning, shopping, wrapping…Oh My! Today we’re featuring YOUR genius House Rules for gifting and giving this holiday season. We chat creative ways for extending the fun on the big day (without more buying), self care for mom after a wrapping marathon, what Santa brings (and doesn’t), how to handle extended family gift giving, AND gifts from the cat (yep, you read that correctly). Join us!

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Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode* We have Gift Guides for just about anyone on our Blog this holiday season! + 10 Quality Puzzle Brands For The Little & Grown-Up Puzzle Lovers In Your Life + 8 Kitchen Gadget Gift Ideas For Home Cooks & Hobby Bakers + Let The Enneagram Guide Your Gifting This Holiday Season * Facilitating Grandma and Grandpa “Thank-Yous” on Christmas Morning from afar can get tricky. We shared lots of ideas for this in a recent episode. * We mentioned St. Nicholas Day a few times in this episode. Not familiar with this Day/Tradition? Learn more about it here.

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Can't we all just get along? (Or maybe, more accurately: Can ANYONE, EVER, just get along?) From playground drama to cousin power dynamics, sibling bickering to neighborly awkwardness, there's no avoiding relationship challenges as families grow, change, and evolve. Today's episode brings together some of the common questions we've gotten from listeners over the years about helping kids learn to play well and fight fair.

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The toy catalogs have arrived and the lists are being made! It's normal for kids to wish and want all season long, and it's ALSO normal for all those "gimmes" to get on parents' nerves (or make us worry that we're raising entitled kids!). In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah talk about what it looks like to help kids cultivate gratitude (it's a long game, trust us), how to allow them to hope and wish while providing reasonable expectations, and how to model accepting gifts with gratitude and grace. Most of all we're here to normalize this tension between greed and gratitude in kids: It's not you. It's not them. It's just not YET.

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Trader Joe’s. Yoga. Book Club. Cute boots and crunchy leaves. Today Meagan and Sarah just want to know: “Are we basic?” Join us for a fun More Than Mom episode with deep thoughts on this totally fluffy topic, including a look back at different eras in our lives when we’ve been trend-averse and other times when we’ve embraced mainstream culture. We talk about how it’s not as easy as it sounds to “like what we like” and leave it at that, why Midlife Lady Basic is different from youth culture (duh), and how, at the end of the day, we’re all just humans who like and dislike certain things, right?

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Being sandwiched between the littles and the grandparents who love them isn't always easy - and there's no one right way to do it! Today we're tapping into the tips, advice and wisdom of our community on a topic we've had a lot of request for: facilitating and nurturing grandparent-grandkid relationships. In this Episode, Meagan and Sarah share practical things moms can do to facilitate the relationships we want our kids to have with their long-distance and in-person grandparents. We talk through your ideas for using modern technology to help kids connect with grandparents, making time with grandparents extra special, and how to encourage the one-on-one bonding with less of a presence from mom and dad.

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If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any length of time you know that Meagan’s harbored some serious homesteader fantasies since her early 20s. Nearly 25 years after Meagan’s oldest was born, she’s finally living outside the city limits, and slowly making her “Little House on the Prairie homestead dreams” from long ago come true (well, sort of!). In this episode, Meagan interviews Kendra Martin from the Homesteady Podcast about how she lives off of 100 acres of land with her husband and six children. Kendra shares how she manages to homestead AND homeschool and what their family has in store for their future.

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Million dollar sick-kid question: "are they going to school today, or not?"! After two fall seasons impacted by pandemic schooling in all kinds of ways, Fall 2022 appears to be The One Where The Children Are Sick ALL THE TIME. In today's episode Sarah and regular contributor Jayme validate (and commiserate) about the plight of kids picking up every possible virus this fall, and offer practical tips for managing kids home with common childhood illnesses. (In addition to having a toddler and a preschooler, Jayme is also a nurse by training and a physician-spouse, so she comes with some legit background...and lots of real talk.) Hang in there, mamas! You are not alone in your wellness struggles, and hopefully next fall will be a little less hard!

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It's no secret that Meagan and Sarah can both get pretty into personality tests, particularly the Enneagram. In this fun More Than Mom we have an in-depth conversation about personalities in general (not just the types and tests!), especially as they relates to our significant others (and how they do or do not mesh with ours at times). We discuss how our different personalities play out in our relationships, the ways we reframe our differences, and reflect on our own challenging personality traits.

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From Halloween through New Year's we're given opportunities to create new traditions and fulfill holiday wishes - sometimes of our own design and, increasingly as kids get older, sometimes at our kids' behest. This week Meagan and Sarah talk about the bell curve of holiday parenting: the early influence we have over just how things look and what fun is had, the middle dip as we learn to let go and kid-life dominates, and then the later years when we get to reclaim some control and design a season for our own desires. None of it is all-good or all-hard; but it changes over time and we're here for your pre-holidays 2022 motherhood pep talk - wherever you find yourself on that curve.

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From bedtime fears to big kid bed transitions, nightwaking big kids and second thoughts about co-sleeping, we've covered a lot of sleep challenges over the years. Today we're bringing together some of the most common pain points our listeners have brought to us about SLEEP, complete with updated commentary and a fresh take on what sleep challenges are like with tweens and teens.

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While there's a lot of value in setting goals and intentions at the start of a new year (and in revisiting and tracking progress throughout the year), sometimes the intentions we set months ago aren't serving us the way we had hoped. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah revisit what we said we wanted to do and ways we hoped to grow in 2022, reflect on how we've done so far, and share how some intentions shifted over time. We also realize that sometimes life surprises us with growth we hoped for...just not in the way we thought it might happen. And that is OKAY.

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When an article or study claims that a certain parenting approach is "best" or is "matters most," how does that make you feel as a mom? Meagan and Sarah have thoughts, starting with this: assuming that every family defines "parenting success" the same way is a tricky proposition. In Episode 386 we dive deep into research-based parenting advice and, specifically, how parenting data as published in articles and studies impacts our day to day decision-making as well as our mom-confidence.

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Whether you love everything about Halloween or mildly dread some of the excess (sugar, stuff, events, oh my!), today's episode is meant to give you permission to find the traditions and celebrations that work for your family. Regular contributor Joanna Martin is back on the show to interview Sarah about how the Powers family has done Halloween over the years. Later in the episode Sarah chats with Diane Boden, host of the Minimalist Moms podcast about how a scaled-back approach to harvest season works in her family. Happy October, friends!

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Now that school routines are underway, we're going deep into the details of lunch packing - with the help of our team! In Episode 385 Meagan and Sarah call on the experience, perspective and real-life lunch packing advice of five moms from around the country, whose lunch-eating kids range in age from two to sixteen. We touch on lunch packing pain points, tried-and-true ideas for each food group, and some of our must-have lunch packing accessories. We hope that a peek inside the bento boxes of other families will both validate that you're already doing a great job (yes, even if you send the same thing every day!) AND infuse your lunch packing with some easy new ideas.

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Oh, you bought THAT carseat? Your third grader has a cell phone? Wow, you really give your kids freedom! No moms we know are immune from feeling judged, or criticized, or called out by comments from others (even if it's mostly in our heads!). In Episode 384 Meagan and Sarah discuss our own insecurities and vulnerabilities when it comes to parenting. We share our specific insecurity triggers, plus offer ideas for what to think about BEFORE your insecurities get activated, what to say IN THE MOMENT when someone makes a comment, and what to remember AFTER you’ve had an experience that makes you feel judged. We hope you find this conversation comforting; you are not alone!

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Have you found some renewed energy now that the season is changing and the kids are back in school? Now is the perfect time to start some tiny habits to make the most of that fall mojo! Today, Meagan and Sarah share some of our small habits that are making a big difference for us this fall, along with the driving principles behind them. While some habits impact our morning and bedtime routines (like skin care, water before coffee and learning Finnish), others are woven into our busy weeks whenever we get the chance (like picking up and reading the local paper). And never forget: while we may seem like we have it figured out at times, some areas of our lives are still chaos, this fall and always.

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Teaching kids life skills around money isn't as straightforward as, say, teaching them how to order a pizza or do a load laundry. Not only are there different ways to approach each topic - from allowance and paying for chores to saving and charitable giving - but money is also incredibly emotionally-charged and often complicated by our own life experiences (ahem, baggage). Today Meagan and Sarah reflect on how our upbringings impacted our financial points of view, and the challenges we face when it comes to teaching our kids good money habits.

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Separation anxiety - but make it for moms! Today we're talking about the feelings and experiences that come up when we're separated from our children, whether it's for a couple of hours or many days. Meagan and Sarah look back on what separation felt like as new moms, how the tears at preschool drop-off years are sort of the worst, and why we both can go into "out of sight, out of mind" compartmentalization pretty easily when we're not with our kids. We also discuss how much information we like to have about what our kids are up to when they're away from us, and whether it helps or hurts to get a peek into their lives away from us. Whether you're getting ready for your first caregiver handoff or sending an adult off to college, this episode is for you!

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It's been a while since we talked about books and reading! These days Meagan identifies as a total bookworm and Sarah as more of a modest reader in terms of quantity - during other seasons of life we've been just the opposite. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share how our reading habits ebb and flow, where and how we find new books to read, and specific titles we've read so far in 2022. Cozy up on the couch as we dive into some of our weirdest, quickest, fluffiest, unfinished, most educational and inspirational books we've been reading lately. Whether you're an avid reader yourself, or just want some books talk by osmosis, enjoy!

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Is your fridge neat and tidy inside with organized compartments, or is it more like a game of Tetris? Taking a peek into someone's fridge can tell a lot about the season of life they're in, and in today's episode, Meagan and Sarah are opening ours for you! We cover the things we love and hate about the fridge models themselves, the items inside that make us cringe, what see in the fridge that makes us feel proud, and much more! Plus, Meagan looks for advice about how to better utilize her garage fridge, Sarah shares a meal prep fail, and we play a fun game of "in the fridge or on the counter" for food staples in our homes.

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Fall is just around the corner and while some of us look to classic markers like crisp air, sweatshirts and chili, others - especially those in warm-weather climates - have to work a bit harder to make a mindful shift into a new season. In today's Voices episode (and in a fun hot seat role-reversal!) our contributor Katherine DeVries interviews Meagan about seasonally-led parenting and homemaking. Meagan and Katherine share seasonal activities we enjoy with our kids (and some we avoid), tips for bringing seasonality into home decor (without breaking the budget), ways to change up your cooking routine depending on the time of year (we're looking at you, farmer's markets), and ideas for getting through long stretches of dreary weather.

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Empty your lunch box! Wash your hands! No screens before homework! What non-negotiable rule do you enforce when the kids walk through the door after school gets out? In our latest "House Rules" episode, Meagan and Sarah tackle the time between when school-age kids get home and the onset of dinner and bedtime. We asked our community for rules, systems or routines that make the after-school time just a bit easier (having a rule can be pure magic because it takes the pressure off of mom!), as well as what small rituals help with reconnecting and decompressing after school.

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While we WILL be talking all about motherhood today, we WON’T be talking about mothering any humans. In this one-of-a-kind episode, Meagan and Sarah talk motherhood through the lens of caring for chickens and kittens! If you've been following us on instagram, you know we've been busy welcoming 23 chickens (Meagan) and two newborn kittens plus their lactating mama (Sarah) into our lives. We share how similar (and different) animal babies and mamas are compared to our own families (and how we just can’t help but assume human thoughts are happening in these creatures' minds). Join us to find out why Meagan compares her roosters to bad 80’s sitcom dads and why Sarah gets reprimanded by mama cat!

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Got any empties? You know the ones–those products that you use down to the VERY last drop. In this super fun More than Mom, Meagan and Sarah share products that we simply can't stop adding to our cart because they’re just THAT good. We cover all of our go-to skin care and makeup products, our can't-live-without clothing essentials, candle obsessions and much more!

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You're invited to our accidentally-annual-grab-bag chat! In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah have a good-old fashioned girl chat to catch up on all the things. We share our late summer moods (one of us is very ready for school to begin; one of us likes August to linger), our planned social media breaks (we'll be back in September, promise!), trips we've taken this summer, creatures living on our properties (cute kittens and chickens) and more.

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The back to school season brings that sense of routine that some of us crave–but it can also bring on a whole lot of anxiety (getting the right supplies, attending all the events, filling out paperwork…the list goes on!). In this Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done episode, Meagan and Sarah reflect on all the things we’re glad we did to ease the transition into this season and also some things we could have done differently (or that we plan to try this year!). We share what to do with all those school supplies from one year to the next (Meagan is genius, really!), our approach for communicating with teachers, our thoughts on homework, how we plan to hold onto summer JUST a little bit longer this year, and more.

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When to get kids their first cell phone brings up all kinds of questions: How do you know when your child is ready? How to talk to kids about safety? How to help kids develop a healthy relationship with their phone? Social Media? Phone etiquette? (The list goes on!) In today's episode, Sarah welcomes back her friend Dr. Catherine Pearlman to talk about kids and technology--specifically the learning that happens when kids start to navigate their own personal devices, like phones. Today Catherine helps us navigate the new and murky waters of personal devices for our kids and answers some of your burning questions about first phones. Plus, stick around for a short conversation Sarah had with her own 9- and 12 year-olds about what THEY think about this topic!

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College decision-making is influenced by so many things--parents, peers, teachers, family members, your larger community and more. And as with everything else: all families approach this differently! While some bleed their alma mater colors, others don't see college as the only option for helping launch kids after graduation. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah have an open-ended conversation about the role college played in our own stories, our family-of-origin culture, and the narrative we're shaping for our kids now. We also give you a peek into our educational paths, how we made those decisions and how our eight kids perceive the idea of college today. This is a topic close to home for Meagan as she prepares to send Will off in the next few weeks to start his own journey.

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What are Meagan and Sarah’s best tips for getting kids started with their first phone? And with a new school year right around the corner, a mom asks how to prepare her child for the first day of kindergarten and looks for some fun traditions to help celebrate back to school. The “bigger kids, bigger problems” stage arrives early for one listener’s family, and she looks for strategies for maintaining her mental health and other relationships while they navigate tough times. Lastly, a mom of bickering siblings sets us up for a lively discussion about whether it’s mom’s job to prevent kids developing a complex or identity stemming from their birth order and sibling roles. In addition to our own thoughts, we tap the wisdom of our contributors as we tackle your listener questions in Episode 375.

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What’s a mom to do when one kid feels left out of outings his younger sibling gets to do while he’s at school? A listener about to move to a new city for just one year wants tips for finding mom friends quickly, and another listener’s question about how common it is for moms to feel the need to keep spirits up in a family with moodier characters really gets Meagan and Sarah thinking about their own families. Finally, a newer listener is curious about Meagan’s backstory of young motherhood and journey to becoming a mom of five. In Episode 374 we take these questions from our community and – for the first time! – include words of wisdom from members of our contributor team in addition to our own advice.

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Today we're talking about advice: asking for it, giving it, and consuming it in general. Things have come a looong way since the days of Dear Abby (we're looking at you, Facebook crowdsourcing!), and in this fun More Than Mom conversation, Meagan and Sarah share how we individually show up when it comes to receiving advice, whether we're comfortable giving advice, and how it all has changed for us over the years. We also discuss our mutual fascination with advice-column culture and parse the difference between seeking wise counsel from trusted friends and looking for quick answers from the Internet hive mind.

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We get dueling messages from our culture: On the one hand, come as you are! Accept yourself fully, imperfections and all. On the other hand, you deserve better! Here's what to do (and buy) to sleep better, eat better, look better, and feel better. It can be confusing to navigate a genuine desire to live your best life alongside the necessary self-acceptance it takes to feel like you're doing enough today. Do we have this figured out? We do not, but today we're here to talk about it. Meagan and Sarah share what self-improvement AND self-acceptance look like for them in the reams of wellness, career, mental health, and leisure - plus we reflect on what this balance has looked like at different seasons of motherhood.

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Meagan's first baby shower was - wait for it - twenty-five years ago this summer. To bring her up to speed on how things are done nowadays and what's new in baby gear, gifting, and registries, Meagan is joined by Kia and Katherine from our contributor team. Both are seasoned moms who have seen trends evolve, and both have had babies much (much) more recently. Join us as we talk about the pros and cons to today's baby product landscape, what's changed and what hasn't, and what we'd do differently when registering for our very first baby shower. Kia and Katherine also share their must-have product recommendations and registry favorites while Meagan puts it all into context for us.

The post What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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"How do you know when your family is complete?" is one of the most common listener questions we receive. Meagan and Sarah both now have several years of hindsight separating them from the baby and toddler years, and today we're reflecting on the idea of a "complete" family unit. We acknowledge that it doesn't necessarily look like what we imagined it would - and that for many moms there is uncertainty and even grief wrapped up in all of this - but we also find much to celebrate about the current and future states of our proverbial "family tables".

The post Growing Families, Grown Kids, And The “Someday Family Dinner Table”: Episode 372 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Not feeling like an expert in the housework realm? Turns out, very few of feel like we know what we are doing. Last week Meagan and Sarah talked about WHAT we do to keep our households in a state of "good enough," and this week's Part Two is all about the feelings that came up as we tracked a week of real-life housework. We dive into some of our insecurities as home managers, the difference between housework and mothering, and some of the really sticky aspects of finding your identity as a mom and homemaker in the 21st century. We have LOTs of thoughts - and we hope you'll join us!

The post A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part Two): Episode 371 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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What we remember from childhood helps build our narrative of who we were - even if those memories are fuzzy or slightly flawed. Today Meagan and Sarah get in the way-WAY-back machine and reflect on what we were like as kids and teens. As a child, Meagan was dreamy, imaginative, chatty, and obsessed with balloons (!!), while Sarah was studious, quiet-but-sociable, responsible, and circumstantially prone to tears. We touch on how our personalities developed as we grew up, whether we were “popular” or not, and if we felt clueless or confident come high school. Join us for this fun More Than Mom to get a glimpse into our growing up years (at least the way we remember it!).

The post More Than Mom: Meagan & Sarah As Kids & Teens appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Most of us enjoy having a clean and tidy home, but have you ever kept track of how much you do throughout the week to keep it that way? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share what seven days of real-life housework looks like in our homes. We reflect on the tasks we knew went into running a home, and some surprising ones we thought of as housework before (like picking plums and chasing chickens!). Whether you prioritize deep-cleaning on a regular schedule or tend to tidy as you go and hope for the best, it’s eye-opening and gratifying to acknowledge the work that goes into managing a home full of kids.

The post A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part One): Episode 370 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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If you travel with kids, it’s just a matter of time before a trip goes off the rails in spectacular fashion. Maybe it’s a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, or an expensive vacation spent sick in a pricey hotel room. Today Sarah is joined by Catie, Stacy, Emily and Lisa – regular contributors to the show and seasoned travelers with a combined 13 kids – who share their most memorable travel mishap stories. (Full disclaimer: there will be puke-talk.) In sharing these stories, we hope to normalize that travel with kids doesn’t have to go perfectly to be “worth it” and remind you that you’re not alone if this summer’s adventures go awry. Plus, one of the only perks to surviving stories like these is that we get to laugh about them later.

The post Family Travel Mishaps & Why We Go Anyway: Voices 76 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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As moms, we can be hard on ourselves…and sometimes we just need to hear the simplest, oft-repeated pieces of advice and encouragement to remind us that it is all going to be OK. Join Meagan and Sarah for a reflection on eight pieces of wisdom that have carried us through motherhood struggles at every age and stage. We are offering them to you, to ourselves, and to all of our future selves in Episode 369.

The post 8 Truths Every Mom Needs To Hear: Episode 369 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Have you ever fantasized about attending a camp-like environment for grown-ups? Much about the classic summer camp experience is appealing to us (though not EVERYTHING--we could certainly do without the bugs), and the idea of simply showing up for a perfectly curated experience without any responsibility, or planning, sounds AMAZING. Listen to this fun More Than Mom to hear all of our must-have activities (like food and wine tastings, yoga, personal style consults and more!), things that would be a hard no (like swimming in the gross, murky lake or participating in corny, guided crafts) and our daydreams about creating a Mom Hour Retreat (maybe someday?)!

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Among parents, technology and screen time can be a loaded topic. How much is too much? Is that movie too mature? And what's the best age for a first phone? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share the role technology played in our families when kids were little, and reflect on how things changed as they grew. We discuss the tech parenting choices we still stand behind today, and with hindsight, what we could have done differently.

The post Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Tech & Devices: Episode 368 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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There are big benefits to getting kids outside as much as possible. But as a mom to young kids, it can feel intimidating to curate the perfect outside experience for them (and you)! In this Voices episode, Meagan chats with regular contributors Jayme Sherrod and Jennifer Carroll about ways to weave nature into your family's routine. Both Jennifer and Jayme love the outdoors, but their approaches to getting outside with young kids are very different; listen to get their best tips and must-have gear for successful outdoor family adventures. Whether you are looking for encouragement to take baby steps to get kids outside regularly or some inspiration to try bigger adventures, you’ll love this conversation.

The post Getting Outdoors With Kids: Voices 75 With Jayme Sherrod & Jennifer Carroll appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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It’s the last day of May, which means that for many families it's time to stow away backpacks, say 'see ya later' to early morning alarms, and settle in for a more laid-back (or at least DIFFERENT) routine. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah tap into the wisdom of our community and share your simple summer rituals and traditions for filling summer calendars with fun - without totally throwing structure out the window. Enjoy this mashup of sweet, family rituals along with clever house rules to help you prepare for summer days ahead!

The post Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Looking back at old photos is a quick way to feel a ALL the feels: everything from "I can't believe they were ever that little" to "What was I thinking with that haircut?" to "Oh riiiiiiiight, that was one exhausting season of life." Looking back is also a great reminder of the value in documenting everyday life - whether we share it publicly or keep it tucked away for our future selves. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah take a stroll down motherhood memory lane as we look back at one day (May 24) in our motherhood lives over several years. Spoiler Alert—our kids are cute, we’ve had many life changes over the past ten years and Meagan will forever be paranoid about applying sunscreen (sorry Owen!). Enjoy!

The post On This Day In (Our Motherhood) History: Episode 366 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Products. Just because. Yay! Meagan and Sarah pop into your Sunday feed with a light and fluffy chat about the products we are loving lately. From linen pants to fizzy beverage makers, pens for lefties and Very Many Opinions About Mugs, we cover our latest can’t-live-without products in this fun More Than Mom episode.

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Between the raging hormones, sleep deprivation, and overstimulation that occurs on the daily, it's no wonder most moms feel a little "off" for a few weeks after delivery. But how do we know when the baby blues develop into something more? In this episode, Sarah chats with contributors Emily Roark and Kia Hammond, who share their personal postpartum mental health journeys, including how they recognized signs of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, when and how they got help, and which coping strategies worked best. We also get into preparing for mental health support during subsequent pregnancies, how the COVID upended mitigation strategies for pandemic babies, and more. We hope you'll join us for this important conversation.

The post Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Performances. Plays. Graduations. The lusty month of May is upon us as we ditch our well-oiled, calendar-planning systems and enter our end-of-school-year survival mode. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah share strategies for tackling the extra-ness of this season (like death by a thousand emails), setting intentions for the next few weeks and the many lessons May tries to teach us year after year (maybe someday we will learn?). Enjoy this May madness roundup as you dream of the peaceful, calm days of summer ahead (Ha, wouldn't that be great!).

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As moms, we are our kids' biggest fans. But when it comes to deciding when, how and what to share about them with others, the struggle is real. In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah discuss how talking about our own kids in a public forum gets tricky as they get older (think bigger kids, bigger problems) - and not just for the reasons you might think. Join us for a real conversation about navigating the ever-changing seasons of motherhood and how we think you can be honest and authentic without sharing everything going on inside your four walls. We wrap up with some updates on our specific kids (all eight!).

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Moms are savvy consumers, conscientious home managers, and discerning decision-makers. So why are we so often the target of hyper-generalized and cringey marketing efforts? In today’s More Than Mom episode - airing on Mother's Day! - Meagan and Sarah keep it light (and a bit snarky 😉) as we vent about the sloppy intent, terrible puns and ridiculous stereotypes advertisers use to market to us moms.

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Has your reading life come to a screeching halt due to the responsibilities of motherhood? In this month’s Voices interview, Meagan welcomes back blogger, podcaster, and book club leader Amy Clark, to discuss how a busy mom can take small steps to create a readerly life. We discuss all the hacks for finding the time to dive back in (think TikTok’s #sundayreset for inspiration!) and a neat tool for finding the perfect book to match your mood. Amy also shares how reading can help you "find your people" during your current season of life. This episode is for anyone looking to fit more reading into their lives (in little and big ways).

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Crouching. Bending. Stooping. The magical, ninja-like way you lay a baby down in the crib without waking her up; the feeling of wet, sloppy gums on your knuckles as he teethes. In Episode 363, Sarah and Meagan reflect on the muscle memories associated with the repetitive motions of early motherhood. Some bring back all the warm fuzzies and others make us shudder (looking at you, nipple-biting babes), but we promise, this episode will bring the memories flooding back.

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Between our kids’ school schedules, extracurricular activities, and social plans, we spend a lot of time driving them around. And when they get older and start driving themselves, a whole new world of independence (and issues) presents itself. In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah talk about how we use car time to connect with our kids and how we handle some of the challenges that crop up over time, from crying babies and sibling squabbles to sensory overload and car sickness. Buckle up!

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Sports and extracurriculars are picking up this spring, and two different listeners have questions about what age to start kids in activities and how to budget for this part of family life. We take a question about “gentle parenting” that leads into an in-depth discussion about discipline philosophies and finding the approach that works for your family. Finally, a busy mom of three has the chance to get help from neighborhood “mother’s helpers” and wants our guidance on how to make the most of the extra sets of hands. Meagan and Sarah offer validation, support, and encouragement in another Listener Questions episode this week – join us!

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English cottages, sunny greenhouses, cozy cabins, and professors’ offices. What do these spaces have in common? They all evoke an essence we wish we could recreate in our own spaces. Join Meagan and Sarah as we reveal our twinkle-lit, midlife-lady dream spaces . . . even if we may never have them. We talk about our actual homes, too, and our romantic visions vs. reality. Plus we imagine nap rooms (yes, please) and opening The Mom Hour satellite offices in our favorite fantasy locales.

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A mom of big kids is going back to work full-time and wondering how to prepare her family. A toddler needs to brush his teeth and take vitamins, but hates it; should Mom force it? A lucky listener now has two pantries and is looking for tips on optimal organization for kitchen items and back stock storage. Finally, a teacher mom is stuck on how to balance school behavior and discipline at home. For today’s episode, we’re answering these questions from our community together in person (woohoo!).

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Settle in for a books chat! Sarah is joined by two guest co-hosts from our contributor team today: Joanna and Katherine. Both are former educators and avid readers, here with lots to say about books. We touch on our reading lives as moms, what we’re reading lately, and how and when we prefer to do our reading. Then we dive into book recommendations for kids – starting with babies and moving all the way up through teens. This episode is for anyone who loves to read or aspires to read more – grab a warm beverage and join us!

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When we imagine the "refrains of motherhood," poetic sweet-nothings of love and encouragement come to mind. In reality? The words that come out of moms' mouths on repeat are a little more... normal. And that's OK! We're here to normalize being normal. In Episode 360 Meagan and Sarah highlight the best of our communities oft-repeated phrases--everything from clever quips to 1,001 different ways to say "No". We love how universal mom-speak is in the end, and we're marveling over the clever ways moms find to talk to their families.

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Calling all experts . . . OR at least those who have been there, done that, and are willing to share their thoughts. In this week's More Than Mom episode, we're flipping the script and sharing our own challenges in the hopes that our smart, skilled, and seasoned listeners have the solutions we need. We're stuck when it comes to a variety of topics such as home organization, the care and keeping of living things, hair maintenance, and sibling bonding screen time. Can you help? Listen and let us know!

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Today we're looking back on past summers and remembering the choices we appreciate and the ones we regret. This is a fantastic episode to listen to if you're starting to plan your summer! We cover family traditions, camps, childcare, travel, and overall philosophies for fun (with boundaries). There's a fine line between unstructured leisure time and going off the rails, and hopefully our reflections will help you find the right balance for your family.

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We know what it's like to be a teen because we were all teenagers once, right? Well, not quite. In this month's Voices episode, Meagan is joined by her son, affectionately nicknamed "Good Ol' Reliable William" to discuss life as a teenager. As a 18-year-old wrapping up his senior year, Will walks us through the nuances of 9th-12th grade, shares some high school memories, and reveals what he's looking forward to. He also schools us all on what adults don't get about being a teen . . . and Meagan explains what balancing a checkbook is. Together, we bond over the universality of struggling to appreciate where you are in the moment. Listen 'til the end to hear Will's message for moms who are (and will be!) raising teenagers.

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Tweens, teens, (and the parents who love them!) go through a lot between the ages of 9 through 17. There's growing societal pressure, shifting friendships, mounting responsibility, and body changes. Fun, right?! In Episode 358, Meagan and Sarah pick up where we left off last week's conversation, but this time it's all about the older kids. While acknowledging every child is different and being sensitive to our kids' privacy, we remember the sweetness of kids just-on-the-cusp of growing up and tell stories about adolescent awkwardness and attitudes. It can be a bit of a rocky journey, but every teen eventually comes into their own. Whether you're in the thick of it with us or want a fun peek ahead, this episode is a great reminder that kids--and motherhood--are ever-evolving.

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Shutdowns, re-openings, surges, and guidelines . . . so much has changed since the COVID-19 Pandemic crashed into our lives two years ago. And it's bringing up all feelings. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah have a lighter (but still honest!) look back on things like our final outings, strongest pandemic memories, and shared experiences. What do we really remember, and are our recollections even accurate? We also share what we're eager to get back to and what will never be the same. We'll all be processing these squiggly feelings for a long time, and we think this reflection--on both the surreal and the sweet--is a good start.

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Language leaps, school milestones, growing bodies . . . a lot happens on the journey from toddler to big kid! Join Meagan and Sarah as we try to capture the true essence of ages two through eight. We'll talk through each year, sharing memories of our own kids and observations from all the little ones we've known. There are ages that feel like major transition points and many times where kids' skills don't quite match up with their wants. If you're parenting in the trenches, looking ahead at what's to come, OR looking back with us, we think you'll love this one.

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From day camps to sleep-away camps, playdates with new friends to sleepovers with grandparents, summer vacation can be a great time for your child to hone their independence skills. But it can be scary, too. Sometimes a health issue, disability or allergy can make our kids seem especially vulnerable. Sometimes we’re just not sure they’re ready to take that next significant step in self-sufficiency. So how do we balance guarding them from harm with encouraging their growth?

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From packing and organization to sleep arrangements and laundry, there are a million little things that can make or break a family trip. This latest episode in our travel series is a collection of our community's best tips and cleverest hacks for traveling with kids of all ages. We cover what to bring, where to put everything (including your people!), efficient strategies, and how to stress less. Sarah talks about moving hotel furniture, and Meagan shares a surprising hideaway to sneak in some alone time. Whether you're

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Whether for work or for fun, flying is a travel experience that's full of details, decisions, and preferences that can have a major impact on how enjoyable (or not!) it is. In today's More Than Mom episode, we're continuing our travel conversation to chat about how we find the perfect balance between timing, cost, stress, and comfort. We spill on our baggage preferences, security line personalities, how our small regional airports impact everything, and more. Plus Meagan tells a story about running to her gate, and we also share our favorite travel snacks and accessories. Whether you miss flying, dread flying, or have never flown before, we think you'll find this episode (and deeper peek into our personalities!) a fun ride.

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Does it feel like everyone else (but you) is going on fancy vacations all the time? Will your spring break look more like a staycation than a sandy beach? Social media seems to make it worse, but the envy that arises when looking at someone else's vacay pics is as old as time! In this episode, Meagan and Sarah are busting some common travel myths and talking about how to deal with the feelings that sometimes pop up when all your people are (seemingly) jetting off to one fun destination after another. We also chat about how to make memories closer to home and how being intentional about stepping outside your normal routine can matter way more than the dollars you spend. If you need some downtime--minus the guilt or a giant price tag--this episode is for you.

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We hear about the benefits of movement and exercise for our own physical and mental health - but kids are just ... NATURALLY active, right? Turns out the answer is a bit of a Yes, AND.... In this month's Voices interview Sarah chats with former professional beach volleyball player, personal trainer, coach, and mom of three Larissa Maloney about the physical and mental benefits to keeping kids active throughout the day. We talk about the difference between traditional organized sports and a more holistic approach to active lifestyle, the brain and body benefits to moving our bodies, and how fun games and activities can get the whole family moving without feeling like an obligatory "workout." Larissa also shares how growing up a competitive athlete and natural risk-taker led her to take big risks in sports, business and life.

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Moms of new babies have been through a lot the past two years - from tough career and childcare decisions to postpartum mental health struggles, and both the general and very specific grief that goes along with things not going to plan. In Episode 354, Meagan and Sarah continue last week's discussion, honoring the voices of nine moms from our team and community who had babies during the pandemic. While Part 1 focused on the babies, this episode is more about the moms and their pregnancy and postpartum experiences. It's raw, honest, and at times, emotional; it's also an important reminder that every family's "hard" was different, and that every mom's story worth hearing. Whether you had a pandemic baby, are pregnant now, or have older kids; if you've ever felt desperate as a mom, we hope this episode will remind you're not alone.

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Is Meagan a yoga teacher now? Did she survive her alcohol break? How is her gut health and body hair? Did Sarah chill out when it comes to reading? Did she stick to her social media Sabbath? Is she a foster kitty mom and standing taller? In this More Than Mom episode, we're revisiting the intentions we set at the beginning of the new year. We share where we've aced it, what helped us be successful, and what's been surprisingly easy. On the flip side, we get honest about how things have fallen apart a little bit, how we're trying to stay level-headed about our habits, and the goals we've made zero progress toward. It's only been a couple months, so we haven't nailed every intention on our lists, but this chat was a productive reality check and helps us think about our paths forward for the rest of the year.

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News flash: the babies born at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic are turning two! Their little lives have been marked with fear, stress, sadness . . . and, undeniably, also joy. In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah are joined by seven moms from our team sharing about their remarkable babies and this historic time they've entered the world. You'll hear different perspectives on how real moms have handled situations like introducing their babies to other people, venturing out into the world, and the little moments that made them think, "Wow, this is a pandemic baby!" Even if you didn't have a baby in the past two years, you're sure to appreciate this reflective episode - the first in a two-part series - as we honor the hard and celebrate the specialness of pandemic babies.

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Whether you've known them since they were babies or they're part of a crew always hanging out at your house, there's a special relationship that can form between you and kiddos that aren't your own. In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah are chatting about the "mom vibe" we're going for, little ways we adjust behavior (both kids' AND ours), and what happens if a child isn't a great fit for our fam. Meagan also shares what it's like to cultivate meaningful connections with teenagers and grown nieces and nephews. So get comfy, and join us for this heartwarming episode . . . Meagan's passing out blankies, and Sarah's got the good snacks!

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Meagan's current romance sitch is a topic we get questions about from curious listeners, so today we're giving an update, beginning with the meet-cute to end all meet-cutes! Since then, it's been more than a two-year journey (through Covid, no less!) as Eric has gone from a "Person You May Know" on Facebook to Meagan's "Special Man Friend." Sarah asks Meagan how they're handling sticky stuff, like dating someone with kids, grown-up sleepovers, moving in together (or not), and sharing holidays. And Meagan shares what she loves about Eric and the common ground that connects them. Lest you think this episode is all about warm fuzzies, we also toss in a goodnatured Super Bowl rant and take a moment to figure out Meagan's real age. This day-before-Valentine's, More Than Mom episode is sure to put a smile on your face--and lend some hope and comfort to our dating-mom listeners.

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If you feel like your grocery bill has been creeping up, you're not crazy. Food prices have been rising for a while, and unlike other areas of your budget, groceries definitely fall solidly into the "need, not want" category. So how DO you spend less money on food when you're feeding a family? In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah get honest about the areas where our food spending starts to spiral out of control, as well as how we approach leftovers, generic products, pantry inventory, and family-favorite cheap-o dinners. We also share some smart tips from an actual budget expert (ahem, not us). Make sure you listen 'til the end to hear Meagan's best tip!

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Mothers, in general, are experiencing pandemic-related isolation and stress; Black women, in particular, are in crisis. From access to fertility treatments and pregnancy support to delivery complications and postpartum health, disparities around race impact Black mothers throughout their lives. In our latest Voices episode, Meagan speaks with Monique Dozier, licensed therapist and founder of Journey to Genesis Mental Health Services. Monique shares the questions we should all be asking ourselves AND the specific actions we can take to stand hand-in-hand with communities of color. She also reminds us that educating children is an important step in creating a legacy of inclusivity, and shares some of the many joys of being a Black mother.

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With rising prices, many of us are looking for big and little ways to cut back on expenses and spend wisely in 2022. Being smart about when, where, and what you buy AND how you use it adds up to make a big difference in your bottom line. Meagan and Sarah are sharing their best, budget-friendly ideas for everything from clothing and toiletries to furniture and decor. Plus, they share a few times where taking the free advice of a professional helped them save big bucks . . . and Meagan talks about poopy laundry. (Gross, funny, but informative!) We'll be chatting food and groceries next week, but for frugal tips on everything else, this is the episode for you.

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A mom of four seeks advice on siblings who are like oil and water. Another listener asks Meagan and Sarah how to manage preschool-age brothers who are possessive with their toys. An exasperated mom is desperate for the secret to unlocking peaceful car rides. (Aren't we all?) And finally, a mom with a new baby has an inkling it's time to reign in the screen time with her older kids, but wonders how she'll get anything done without it . . . and if her kids can fight through the boredom. Sibling dynamics pop up again and again in this latest batch of listener questions. If you're a mom of multiple kids, you're sure to relate.

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The Internet gets a bad rap - and sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), it's justified. But as with most of the "controversial" topics we discuss, we think there's room for complexity. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share some of the positive outcomes from our online experiences, and how we've evolved as grownups and moms as the Internet itself has changed. We talk about the skills we've learned, the real-life friends we've met, and the things we never would have discovered otherwise! Plus, Meagan shares a screenshot of a wackadoo product with Sarah in real-time--and her reaction will have you clicking that link in our show notes at warp speed. This reflective episode is a little bit sweet (thanks to a lovely listener voicemail!) and a little bit funny.

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A longtime listener asks Meagan and Sarah how to handle kids who have come to expect big fun all the time. A young mom feels dismissed by older moms and authority figures, and also asks for our tips for managing a kid with a quirky obsession. A mom of a preschooler is stumped on how to respond to her little guy's tall tales, fibs, and white lies--and how to sort fact from fiction. Finally, even though we haven't been in her shoes, we encourage a twin mom who's expecting triplets (yes, triplets!) and feeling nervous about about how she and her toddlers will cope. Join us for the latest installment of one of our favorite series--listener questions!

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Sometimes, it's the small things that have the greatest impact--like a wall hook precisely where your kid needs it or the exact right size and number of laundry baskets for your family. In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah are sharing easy home hacks and perfect products that are making their lives just a little bit less aggravating. As busy moms, too often, we just deal with the minor annoyances that seem trivial . . . until we're grinding our teeth because the charger we need is missing (yet again!) We hope that listening to this episode will help you identify the persistent frustrations in your own home and inspire you to brainstorm some solutions. Yes, it might mean spending a few extra bucks or recruiting a helping hand, but we promise: The long-term satisfaction is so worth it.

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Now that we're officially IN the new year, we're thinking about our hopes and goals for 2022. From physical health to mental health, habits to focus areas, heavy stuff to totally frivolous, Meagan and Sarah share the ways we want to challenge ourselves this year, ways we want to go easier on ourselves, and the ways we plan to invest both in our own growth and in others around us. We'll be revisiting this topic to see how we're doing in about six weeks, so be sure to check back in!

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Digital task mastery, pen and paper planning, and keeping the family organized: no two moms do this exactly alike - even those of us who love to plan and organize! In our first interview episode of 2022, Sarah Powers sits down with fellow planner people Christine Koh and Sarah Hart-Unger to discuss our favorite digital resources, pen-and-paper tools, and methods of staying organized at work, home, and school. We get into the nitty gritty of color coded everything, what works and what doesn't for our personalities, and how we use planning tools to avoid over-scheduling and leave white space for joy and (gasp!) even spontaneity.

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We’re not experts…we’re two moms with lots of kids and dirty floors. Join Meagan and Sarah as we share our go-to products for keeping a clean-enough house, and feel better about your own dusty corners as we confess the aspects of housekeeping we’re just not great at. We share our favorite way to get dog pee out of the carpet, some tricks for keeping multi-use products like white vinegar and baking soda at the ready, and our shared habit of acquiring a LOT of devices for cleaning floors (and yet? the floors are still dirty). Welcome to 2022, friends. Come on in to our not-very-clean houses for Episode 346!

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A day at home with nothing on the calendar or the agenda: It's the best of times . . . and it can be the worst of times. In this final episode of 2021, Meagan and Sarah are reminiscing about how they spent cuddled-up days at home pre-kids and with little ones, as well as what it looks like now that everyone is kinda doing their own thing. We remember games, baking, movie-watching, and puttering (plus lots of making and cleaning up messes). We talk about at-home activities that are fun with kids, the things that make it challenging, little ways to feel productive, and how to cultivate the "day off" vibe you crave. There's a fine line between snuggly and stifling, and you might be feeling it this week between Christmas and New Year's. Whatever the age of your kids or your family situation, this episode will give you ideas on how to take pleasure in the slowness.

The post Ways To Spend A Cozy Day At Home (No Matter How Little Your Kids Are): Episode 345 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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From feeling like time (or money) is running out to second-guessing gift choices and blaming ourselves for our kids' behavior, there's no shortage of ways for moms to feel crummy during the holidays. Even when everything miraculously gets done, you might wonder where the heck's the magic or feel guilty wondering if you slowed down enough to actually enjoy it (and honestly, would it even be the holidays without a good, old-fashioned mom tantrum?). In this last episode before Christmas, Meagan and Sarah talk through the various ways moms tend to be hard on themselves this time of year, and some ways we've learned to reframe our messy feelings. We also chat about how we're feeling this particular Christmas and how it compares to holidays of the past. Depending on when you listen to this episode, consider it your pre- or post-holiday pep talk--complete with a tasty detour into charcuterie board land. We promise it's NOT too late to give yourself a little grace. We're here for you, friends!

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When it comes to parenting--and how we generally live our lives--actions speak louder than words. Our behaviors, priorities, emotions, and reactions are all things we're modeling for our kids. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah try to see themselves through their kids' eyes, reflecting on the qualities we feel good about and the ones we're trying to be more conscious of. We talk about how we can't control how our kids will think about us when they're grown, but we CAN be thoughtful about the moms we want to be; and even though we're opposites in lots of ways, we discover a superpower we have in common. This deep-thinky episode is a great one for wherever you are on your motherhood journey.

The post What Our Kids See In Us (For Better & For Worse): Episode 343 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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As 2021 winds down, we're looking at the habits we picked up - intentionally or accidentally - in the past year. Some habits we stuck with and feel great about; some didn't serve us as much as we thought they might. We celebrate some areas where we totally nailed it this year and get real about the not-so-healthy habits that crept in, too. From self-care and big improvements, to tech use and baby steps, we look at the different ways our habits showed up in 2021, acknowledging that you don't have to stick with something for 365 days for it to make an impact. We also laugh about the things Meagan does in bed . . . and the new things she wants to try (wink, wink). We end on a hopeful note, with some early thoughts on 2022 intentions (and lots more to come).

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Over the years, we've developed a bit of a reputation for hating fun, but really we just want to give all moms permission to have actual opinions about what's fun, what isn't, and how they like to make memories with their kids. If you're like us, cooking, crafting, outdoor activities, and Mommy-and-Me classes might strike you as are occasionally fun, never-ever fun, or not fun YET. In the spirit of keeping it real, Meagan and Sarah chat about how kids have special ways of tainting activities we normally love, plus we break down how to separate the fun YOU crave from feeling like you have to include your children. We also give real tips for how to make some of these ideas a better fit for your family (spoiler: It might not include you!). And to wrap it all up, we share some encouragement and suggestions for planning future "fun."

The post “Supposed To Be Fun” Activities That Just Aren’t (And How To Have Fun On Your Terms): Episode 342 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Matchy Christmas china, snuggly slippers, nice leather bags, and incredible concerts . . . these are a few of our favorite things! What makes a great gift AND how do you increase your odds of actually getting it? Today's More Than Mom is all about the most memorable gifts of our Christmases Past--plus what's on our wish lists (and shopping lists!) this year. We talk about gifts from childhood, experience gifts, weird gifts, and gifts that turn into traditions. We also discuss what really makes a gift feel thoughtful and personal, and some of our favorite gifts to give the women in our lives. As a bonus, Sarah also shares a decade-long Christmas gift mystery! This episode is full of inspiration.

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One of the most common questions we're asked is how to get kids ready for a new sibling. In today's Voices episode, Meagan chats with a seasoned mom from our Contributor team about how she's doing just that! Kia is a former postpartum nurse and about to give birth to Baby #4. With kids ages 12, 4, and 1, she's being super thoughtful about tailoring her approach for each child and stage. Find out how she's dealing with everyone's emotions (including her own), making changes to her home, and her favorite items for making it all go a little easier this time around. And with the holidays upon us, we talk about how having a newborn will impact her plans. (All the cute Christmas onesies, please!)

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There's no shortage of IDEAS for making meaningful holidays with kids, but the reality is that time, money, and mama-energy are limited resources. If you've ever been curious about how REAL families do Christmas, join Meagan and Sarah as we sit down with two moms from our Contributor team for behind-the-scenes peeks at their holiday magic making, Advent traditions, and gift giving plans. Sarah chats with Jennifer, a mom of 4-year-old twins, who's smack-dab in the middle of preschool holiday fun and finally experiencing the light at the end of the tunnel of parenting little twins. Then Meagan and Lisa connect over being divorced moms of many children--Lisa has four kids at home. They talk about coparenting, deciding who gives which presents, and how special it is to share the holiday magic with big kids. Listen and discover how other moms are making this season meaningful for their families.

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From sharing toys to allowing screens, sleepovers to sibling dynamics, setting some expectations for playdates helps control the chaos (and the tears!). This latest episode in our "House Rules" series is a fascinating peek into how our listeners handle having kids over to play AND sending their kids to friends' houses. Meagan reminds us there's only so much moms can control--especially as kids get older, and Sarah shares her personal rule about a certain game that's NOT allowed to be played in a specific place. Whether your family is just easing into playdates or you need some create some new guidelines, you'll find some really smart ideas here.

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Who gets to claim the identity of Writer? In our humble opinions, there’s way more to it than whether your work is published or not. Meagan and Sarah have had writing careers that have run the gamut, including dealing with hangups, vulnerability, and rejection. Today’s More Than Mom episode paints a picture of our early

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Meal planning is one thing, but how do you build your recipe collection in the first place? And where do you go when you’re looking to make a change, such as trying a new technique, or cooking an unfamiliar food for the first time? In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah talk about both the challenges of feeding a family healthfully, as well as the sources of inspiration we look to when we find ourselves in a rut. From tearing recipes out of magazines (do people still do that?) to our favorite cookbooks and foodie websites, we’re sharing where, exactly, we get our best meal ideas. We also speak with Megan Lott, the Deputy Director of Healthy Eating Research, who is sharing their latest recommendations on how families can work on healthy mealtime habits.

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From the etiquette to expectations, gatherings are a two-way relationship between the hosts and the guests. In this flip side of last week's episode on hosting, Meagan and Sarah are talking about our favorite types of get-togethers, the ways we try to be "good guests," and our strategies for surviving social events (including the ones that feel high-stakes) with little ones. We point out how thoughtful preparation and honest communication--with our hosts, kids, and even ourselves--tempers the stress for everyone involved. To wrap it up, Meagan shares an important reminder AND a mantra moms can repeat when everyone's on edge. Whether you're getting ready for holiday parties or looking for tips that apply to any event, you'll find lots of reassurance here.

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Hosting a gathering can feel like a huge burden, a creative outlet, a ton of fun, and everything in between. In our unofficial kickoff to the 2021 holiday season, Meagan and Sarah are here to look at how we host, how we don’t, and how opening our homes has changed over the years. We remind you – and ourselves – that there are many ways to be a gracious host and that nobody nails it in every category. Whether you’d like to organize a small friend gathering or you’re hosting the Big Meal for a dozen extended family members, this episode will serve as a gentle reminder that you can do it in a way that feels authentic, welcoming, and – yep – even fun.

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City Mouse...Country Mouse...do we really have to choose? Not in our fantasy lives! Meagan and Sarah have both done stints as city dwellers and have some experience with rural life, but we've spent most of our kid-rearing years in suburbs or small towns. Today's More Than Mom episode is a total indulgence in the fantasies of city living and country life - at their most extremes. We talk about how we'd dress and what we'd eat, what our homes would be like and how we'd spend our days. We also touch on the books, movies, and television that shaped our early understanding of city and country living (turns out we may need a part two JUST about television apartments).

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From toddler tantrums to big kid anxiety, parents feel so much pressure to tackle these challenges in the right way. Are we expecting too much from our kids . . . and ourselves? In our latest Voices interview episode, Sarah has a conversation with Meghan Leahy, parenting expert and author of a new book, Parenting Outside the Lines. In her signature honest and humorous tone, Meghan shares some valuable insights about what's going on behind common kid behavior phases. She also reminds us all that WE are the best experts in our kids and that holding empathy for both our kids AND ourselves is the key to combatting perfectionism.

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From taking a detailed phone message and sticking to a meeting plan to utilizing physical resources like paper maps, bus schedules, TV guides, and phone books, there are so many life skills children of the '70s, '80s, and '90s were just expected to know. In today's episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah chat about these once-essential abilities our kids lack simply because the world has changed. On the flip-side, we also reflect on the new skills that come so naturally to this crop of kids. In some cases, they're teaching us! (Multiple remote controls drive anyone else bonkers?!) To wrap it up, we reflect on how to not become gripe-y or grumpy about these natural generational differences.

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Aspirational meal plans are ubiquitous, but drilling down to what families ACTUALLY eat in a given week is a lot harder to find. For that reason, we--and our listeners--love our ongoing series of "what really went down" at mealtime. Meagan and Sarah are sharing what we actually prepared and ate for dinner the week of October 4th, 2021. We also have fun bringing in seven of our contributors to share how they fed their families. This episode has a wide range of typical dinners (including chili all the ways!) from variety of families. You're sure to find some dinner inspiration and validation that however you're doing it, you're not alone!

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e've talked about fashion on the podcast before, but personal style is one of those things that's always evolving. With today's trends, cuts, colors, and various ways of shopping, there's a fine balance between dressing up-to-date AND feeling like ourselves. In today’s More Than Mom episode, Sarah and Meagan chat about the state of our current wardrobes, the challenge of putting on "public-facing pants," the pieces we're surprised we like, the ones that aren't for us, and share some outfits we looked--and felt--cute in. We also figure out what color, exactly, is "puce."

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When do you decorate for Halloween or carve pumpkins? What costumes are allowed? And exactly how much candy do kids get to eat? As we've said before: You get to decide! And once you do, it cuts down on SO many battles and questions. In our latest "House Rules" episode, we're sharing our listeners' best arbitrary rules for trick-or-treating, choosing (and trying on) costumes, and more! Meagan and Sarah share how they've approached Halloween in their families, and talk about how some of their policies have evolved (or been eliminated!) as kids grow.

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What do you do when your toddler has separation anxiety and being apart feels somewhat optional? A mom of a baby and a precocious toddler is looking for tools to help with emotional drop-offs at the church nursery. A mom with four young kids is desperate for a date night and looking for outside-the-box childcare solutions. Another mom whose age doesn't match up with her friends' wants help navigating the intersection of motherhood, friendship, and family planning. A part-time SAHM wonders if it's normal to feel bored during long days with her toddler. (Spoiler alert: YES!) Meagan and Sarah give advice for ditching the guilt. We also send our love to a longtime listener who is struggling with setting healthy boundaries with Grandma. We tackle a lot of tough stuff in this episode of Listener Questions.

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A listener is curious about Meagan and Sarah's Zodiac signs; she also wants to know if we could add any frivolous feature to our homes, what would it be? (Meagan recommends a llama to complement Sarah's dreamy detail.) A longtime listener asks if we've had any show topics that didn't make the cut. An aspiring blogger asks for writing tips. And finally, a new homeowner is looking for advice on landscaping a yard that looks nice, but is also low-maintenance. For this Sunday spin on listener questions, we're stepping outside the realm of parenting to weigh in on a wider variety of topics. This was a fun one!

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When you're going through A Thing, what kind of help feels most...helpful? Is it practical stuff, like a delivered meal? Is it emotional support, or humor and distraction? And does the way you feel most supported influence the way you step up for your own friends? Meagan and Sarah tackle these questions and more in Episode 333, all about the ways we give and receive support during hard seasons of life and motherhood. We look at our own personalities, our relationship patterns, and how all of this has evolved over time. (We also have a couple of real-time on-air epiphanies!)

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From travel sports teams to competitive dance, elite kids’ activities and their impact on family life often get a bad rap. In this month's Voices interview episode Meagan chats with Kelly Rippon, author of Parent Up: Inspire Your Child To Be Their Best Self and mother of former US champion figure skater Adam Rippon. Kelly shares a much more encouraging side of being an “opportunity creator” for your kids, including her unique perspective as a single mom of many now-grown kids, all of whom were accomplished and active in extracurriculars.

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From hand washing to changing undies, bath time to brushing teeth, staying on top of your kids' hygiene is essential to keeping them healthy and not (too) stinky. In our latest "House Rules" episode, we're sharing listeners' hilarious, straightforward, and down-right-genius methods for taking the guesswork out of getting everyone clean. And in the spirit of keeping things VERY real, Meagan and Sarah both tell stories about times their kids seemed embarrassingly clueless about simple hygiene practices. Listen along for some ideas that might make YOUR family hygiene regimen less of a struggle.

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Meagan is an experienced camper, while Sarah likes the IDEA of family nature time, but isn't so sure. There's sleeping on the ground, critters (both mild and wild), plus all the logistics. And with so many options for "roughing it," from rustic backpacking to glamping, what even qualifies as camping these days? In today's More Than Mom episode, Meagan's breaking it all down for Sarah - and for our listeners! From packing to food prep, how to stay comfy and how to get clean(ish), follow along as Meagan shares her tips for figuring out what kind of camping might be right for you. Along the way, Meagan gets real about how she handles when nature calls, tells a funny story about a time she panicked about a snake getting too close for comfort, and talks about storing her gear. It's an adventure!

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Doing better by the planet is a lofty goal: but what does it REALLY look like in the homes of busy moms with lots of kids? Less plastic, no plastic, better plastic? Zero waste, composting, recycling? It’s objectively overwhelming, but that doesn’t mean it’s an all-or-nothing decision. As with any kind of improvement we talk about on The Mom Hour, we’re all about small, repeatable actions you can incorporate into your existing routine, and that add up to meaningful change over time--and in today’s special episode we’re applying that framework to sustainability in the kitchen. Meagan and Sarah share how we identify our personal values when it comes to kitchen sustainability, what small changes we’ve made (and stuck with!), and how we keep from getting lost in all the “shoulds” as we navigate doing just a little bit better for the planet, in ways that work for us.

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Our "Week Of Real-Life Dinners" is beloved around these parts, and we have another installment coming up next month! And while normalizing the pivots and misses (and hastily ordered pizzas) that characterize EVERY family's real-life dinners is super important, we also know that revisiting the values and ideals that serve as your foundation can help re-energize the meal-planning process. In short: there's nothing wrong with real-life dinners, but there's also nothing wrong with shooting for an ideal plan. In Episode 331 Meagan and Sarah reflect on the what's and why's of our own week of ideal family meals, acknowledging the pain points we're trying to avoid and the north star we're shooting toward. We also look at the "ingredients" that go into a week of meals that nearly hits that elusive ideal.

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Whether you're trying to scale back to a simpler schedule or ramp up after a pandemic hiatus, adjusting to kids' activities and extracurriculars is a huge part of settling into a fall routine. In Episode 330 Meagan and Sarah look at this topic with some hindsight (sharing what we learned about ourselves and our kids by trying different activities during the little years), and also through the lens of Fall 2021 (what our kids are playing and trying now, and how a year off has changed things in our families). We also reflect on how our own childhoods influence our family cultures around extracurriculars, and what has surprised us about how older kids and teens find their passions and pursuits.

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te foods and flavors are WELL-documented on the podcast, but what about the other four senses? Sights, smells, sounds, and textures can all contribute to a boosted mood OR a not-so-great sensory experience. In today's More Than Mom episode - our first one back after a summer hiatus! - Sarah and Meagan chat about whether our sensory preferences change with the seasons, how our sensitivities have changed with age, and what specific textures, scents, and sounds we're drawn to. We round out the episode by talking about how trends influence our favorite colors, and which ones we've loved our whole lives.

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Every pregnancy, baby, and birth is unique--and between us we've had eight of them! From planned c-sections to hospital births that didn't go as planned, birthing centers, home births, and water births: we haven't experienced everything, but we've been through a lot! Coming off of Labor Day (wink wink), Meagan and Sarah are looking back on the births of our eight babies in Episode 329. We answer your questions about how we prepared, some funny and not-so-fun moments, and what we wish we had known about birth.

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Ever wondered how other moms get everybody up, ready, fed, and out the door with all their parts and pieces? We think it's fascinating to peek behind the curtain at different families' routines and rituals, so in today's episode Sarah chats with two moms from our Contributor team. Lisa is a full-time working single mom of four kids (at three schools!) who has great ideas for keeping mornings calm, making time for herself, and giving kids increasing independence as they grow. Ashley is a kindergarten teacher and mom of two kids, one with Cerebral Palsy, so mornings present a different set of challenges in her house. Find out what's working well so far this fall for Lisa's and Ashley's families, how they're dealing with setbacks, and what they've learned works for them when it comes to morning routines.

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Stress out by mornings? You're not alone. But good news: we found the source of all solutions for smoother mornings... THIS COMMUNITY. The latest episode in our House Rules For... series is full of our listeners’ genius ideas for prepping ahead, managing morning screen time, and how, when, and where Mom Signs All The Things. Whether you have early risers or slow-to-movers, listen to Episode 328 to hear how experienced parents in our community are setting boundaries, teaching responsibility, and taking the guesswork out of the morning hustle.

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Expectations these days feel like ... a lot. When your energy is finite and the demands on you feel, well, INfinite, we find it helps to begin with self-awareness. What drains your energy as a mom? When are you naturally at your best? If you're depleted, is it physical, mental, or emotional energy that's in shortest supply? And if you're in a low-energy season - whether it's a day, a week, a month, or a year - can you reprioritize and reframe so that you're not further weighed down by guilt or unrealistic expectations? Sarah and Meagan look at these questions and more in Episode 327. Join us!

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Every family's breakfast routine looks different - and that's OK. Whether you're all about prep-ahead dishes that fill up hungry kids on weekday mornings, or are just trying to make it out the door in one piece with a cereal bar for the road, we're here to validate that not every single breakfast needs to look perfect, or tick every nutritional box. Join Meagan and Sarah for Episode 326, a zoom in on the first meal of the day. We talk about our family cultures around breakfast, how weekends look (very) different from weekday mornings, and how things have shifted as kids have gotten older.

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Meagan and Sarah are inviting you in for a good old-fashioned catch-up sesh as we wind down Summer 2021. There's a bit of everything in today's episode: updates on our own kid and family milestones, reflections on the second pandemic summer (a few fails, some sweet moments, and everything in between), thoughts on the strange time of year that is mid-August, and some of what's been keeping us entertained lately (books, TV, podcasts, and more!). Join us!

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Today's guest is a working mom with three kids under five, a career journey punctuated by curiosity and leaps of faith, and a brand new role as Content Manager for The Mom Hour! Please help us welcome Amanda Park to the team, and join us for a conversation that covers her working mom journey through several big industries, how she found The Mom Hour as a listener (and eventually joined our team), and what it's been like working behind the scenes as we expand our content goals this summer. We also chat about personality stuff, Amanda's current wins and challenges in the trenches of motherhood, and offer a sneak peek into what's coming up this fall with our new team of contributors.

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If you've ever fantasized about a week on a tropical island, a whole day in the spa, a winning lottery ticket, or - let's be honest - even just a hot cup of coffee you get to finish in one sitting, you're not alone. As busy, tired mamas it's natural to dream about a life different from the one we're living. But it's also helpful, we think, to point those daydreams in a slightly more achieve-able direction, and that's what Meagan and Sarah are doing in today's episode. Join us as we each envision our version of a perfect, ordinary day: a day that exists within the actual framework of our current homes, jobs, cars, kids, and schedule, but where the stars align to leave us feeling especially happy and fulfilled. Play along at home and think about what key elements go into your own ideal ordinary day - it's part fun fantasy and part food for thought.

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From goody bags to party guest lists, opening gifts and blowing out candles, kid birthdays go deep into your personal family culture and traditions. We firmly believe that there's no One Right Way to celebrate, but we do know that without some parameters those celebrations can get to be ... a lot. In our latest House Rules For... episode, we're highlighting our listeners' smart tips and hacks for keeping birthdays manageable and meaningful. Take the ones that work for you and leave the rest - this is mom-crowdsourcing at its finest!

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Annoyed. Irritated. Short-fused. Anyone else feeling low-level grumpy lately? When it's not an actual crisis, deep exhaustion, crippling overwhelm, or another significantly hard season of motherhood, it can be tricky to identify the reasons behind--and the strategies to help with--a bad mood. But we know one thing for sure: sometimes it helps to vent a bit. In Episode 322 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah air some very petty gripes about what's driving us bonkers lately, and then do a little self-reflection about what triggers our annoyance, how our personalities manifest it, and how to reframe it and reset our moods.

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From breakfast to snacks, lunch to dinner to even dessert, each day holds plenty of opportunity to introduce new flavors and textures, teach table skills, and introduce micro-doses of nutrition into your toddler’s tummy. Meagan and Sarah cover each meal and the specific strategies they used to keep them interesting, low-stress, and as nutritious as possible, even when a toddler has the attention span of a fruit fly.

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“Picky” and “toddler” - the two words go hand-in-hand, right? In this episode Meagan and Sarah tackle one of their listeners’ biggest mom-obstacles, sharing tips and tricks to help get those opinionated toddlers to eat more adventurously and healthfully while also offering reassurance that this stage won’t last forever and that there are things you can do to help even the choosiest toddler (occasionally) try new things while getting the nutrition they need.

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When it comes to toddlers, one thing is certain: just when you get used to a new stage or phase, it changes. And nowhere is this more true than when it comes to how a toddler eats: from introducing new textures and foods, to weaning, to attempting self-feeding and even learning how to use cups and utensils, toddlers are in a constant state of transition - and so is the way they eat. In this first episode in our three-part series on feeding toddlers, Meagan and Sarah offer solutions to the most common struggles moms face during those transitions, as well as a healthy dose of “it’s all gonna be okay” mom-confidence.

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Itty bitty overalls and doll-sized dresses make for adorable first outfits, but dressing babies (and toddlers, and kids) comfortably and stylishly throughout the ages and stages is no easy task. In Episode 321 Meagan and Sarah remember the joys and challenges of dressing our littles while they still let us (most of the time, anyway). Then we move into the realities of clothing our big kids, tweens and teens. From keeping up with sizes to choosing our battles over teen fashion that baffles our mom-brains, the refrain is familiar: it doesn't get easier, it just gets...different.

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Wildfires, hurricanes, floods and tornadoes; home emergencies, local disasters and national crises. These aren't things we love to think about, but they do have one thing in common: having a plan and talking about it as a family can bring peace of mind and even save lives. In this month's Voice interview Sarah chats with Jennifer Pipa, Vice President of Disaster Programs for the Red Cross. With an emphasis on making disaster preparedness practical for busy families, applicable no matter where in the world you live or what risks your natural climate brings, and as un-scary as possible for little kids, Jennifer is full of tips and information to help you up your preparedness this summer.

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It feels like it’ll be like this forever, but we’re here to tell you: it won’t. In today’s episode Meagan and Sarah take turns sharing big and small transformations our kids have undergone that leave us shaking our heads in total amazement because, at one point in time, we never thought we’d ever see this day. From an ultra-fearful preschooler who turned out to be a super confident kid, to the wild-toddler-turned-chill-teen, to the sibling pairs who fought like crazy and now are best friends, we’re talking about all the times we’ve been proven wrong by our own assumptions over the years.

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Who needs RULES on vacation? Turns out, we do. And we're not alone. The latest episode in our House Rules For... series is all about the rules that keep our families sane when we're not at home. From road trip snack management to beach house screen time, treats on the airplane to getting out of the gift shop without a meltdown, listen to Episode 319 for hard-earned experience from parents in our community. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest - there's something here for nearly every family.

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Is it EVER appropriate to correct another mom’s car seat buckling technique? A listener wants to hear Meagan and Sarah’s thoughts on whether we feel comfortable offering unsolicited safety tips to other parents. Another mom asks our thoughts on how you distribute your parenting energy evenly when one kid is really struggling and others are

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Meagan and Sarah both live in beach towns – but very different ones. Today’s More Than Mom episode invites you to come to our areas for a visit – and head to the beach! We talk about what it’s like to live in a beach area generally, and in our towns specifically, and offer tips for making a day at the beach fit with your idea of fun (yes, even with kids!). From parking to hotels, what to bring and when to go, we have locals-only insights that will help you think through your next trip to the beach – even if it’s not to Santa Barbara or Saint Joe. We finish up the episode by talking about the beach-related products we’re using currently, as well as some we have our eye on.

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A mom of tweens asks Meagan and Sarah whether we require our own kids to keep their rooms tidy (we have thoughts!); another listener dealing with cultural and generational divides in her family asks our thoughts on how to handle well-meaning grandparent advice. Finally, we coach a new-to-preschool mom on how to begin setting up playdates and social opportunities when you don't know anyone at the school (and are emerging from a global pandemic).

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By pure coincidence, BOTH Meagan and Sarah have kids with broken bones right now - so we're here to talk about it! We discuss the current injury situation in each of our homes, and reflect back on other kid-injuries that have occupied that tricky space in between "rub some dirt on it" and "call the ambulance". From stitches to sprains, bumps to the head and busted lips, we know raising kids involves a lot of injuries, and that it can be tough on parents to know what to do in the moment. Today's stories all ended well - we promise! - but we're here to validate that parenting an injured kid can be tough, both in the moment of decision as well as in the aftermath.

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From bad hair to failed friendships to terrible taste in music, there are some phases of our lives that, in hindsight, were just kind of the worst. Other eras we look back on fondly, whether it was because our social lives were dazzling or our fashion sense just worked. In today's More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah look back at our lives - both before motherhood, and also since becoming a mom - and declare our Bests and Worsts in style, culture, and friendships.

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Lindsey Hein is a lifelong runner with more than 16 marathons to her name, including several Boston Marathon finishes. She's also mom to four busy boys, ages two to eight, and host of a popular podcast for runners. In this month's Voices episode Lindsey chats with Meagan about training for races with four little kids, how her podcasting side hustle grew into a network of shows (including a parenting podcast!), and why she made the tough decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy after finding out she was positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation when her oldest son was 16 months old.

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We've noticed something: the end of school and start of summer always makes it suddenly clear how dang much our kids have grown. They're smarter, they're taller, they're more capable, and all that means...it's time to level up! We think summer is a great time to teach new life skills, reset chores and responsibilities, and also grant expanded freedoms to growing kids. In Episode 315 Meagan and Sarah talk about summer resets generally, and Summer 2021 more specifically - what our kids are ready for, where they need some support in the independence department, and how we're planning on expanding their worlds this summer.

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Having a house rule gives parents a shorthand for handling the same small annoyance the same way, every time. Will it stop your kids from fighting over the coveted "fishy cup" or arguing over whose turn it is to set the table? It will not. But it WILL allow you to consistently apply the same judiciary process (and one that feels right to YOU) each time kids start to go at it, which can cut down on a lot of mental gymnastics for mom. The beauty of house rules is that they're born from necessity and are unique to each family, so in today's episode we're including smart ideas from dozens of our community members, all in the pursuit of House Rules For Sibling Harmony.

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So many firsts, so many outgrown outfits, so many unforgettable mom-moments, and so much MESS. Join Meagan and Sarah as we walk month-by-month through a baby's first year of life, sharing our personal memories as well as general thoughts on what makes each month unique. If you're beyond the infant years, we hope this will offer a little trip down your own nostalgic memory lane; if you're in the middle of baby-land, we hope you feel seen and validated.

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From swimsuits to fitness programs, nail polish to meal delivery, we admit: we're influenceable. But there's a lot to unpack about the concept of influencer marketing and influencer culture in general. In today's More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah talk about about the silly stuff (like the kind of ads the algorithm INSISTS on delivering us) and also the more substantial (like the ways in which we've been positively influenced by friends, both IRL and on the Internet).

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We’ve talked a lot about how little kids (and their parents) experienced schooling disruptions over the past year. But college students, their families, and their instructors also went through a major shift in how higher education is delivered and experienced. Today’s special bonus episode features a conversation with Hsiao-Yun Chu, Ph.D., a college professor, mom of two young children, and longtime listener of the podcast. She shares her thoughts with Sarah on how virtual learning and virtual teaching created some real positives in higher education this year, and even what she hopes will continue after the pandemic is behind us.

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Having a functional kitchen relies on a number of factors, many of which are outside our control (funny floor plans, small spaces, or that weird area between where the open dishwasher blocks off access to that one cabinet? yeah, things like that). But as moms of many kids who have occupied at least as many kitchens in our combined histories, we've also realized there are some things we can do to use the space we have in ways that helps us enjoy being in the kitchen more. Today's episode looks at what's currently frustrating us about kitchen storage and organization (as always, we love your solutions sent by email or as comments on our social pages!), and also what's working well.

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As this incredibly strange and stressful school year winds to a close, parents are looking ahead to next fall and wondering: Should I send my 5-year-old to kindergarten, or wait a year? Will my first grader remember how to make friends since she's been behind a screen all year? Will the struggle that was virtual learning mean my kid never learns to love school again? These are understandable worries, especially for those who are in the middle of their own first experience as school parents. This month's Voices interview guest is Kelly Hiltz, kindergarten teacher who has seen it all this year - remote, hybrid, in-person - and mom to two boys in preschool and early elementary. Sarah and Kelly address the concerns parents have about kindergarten specifically, COVID learning loss generally, and what a 2021-2022 school year might look like for families. We also touch on "red-shirting" younger kinders, how to know what decision is right for your child, and what specific things families can do this summer to best prepare incoming kindergarteners for the fall.

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If you have mixed feelings about Mother's Day, you're not alone. For some, it's a reminder of loss or grief, unmet expectations or missing people we love. For others, the social media buildup and commercialized clichés create expectations that can lead to disappointment. And even for those who don't completely dread Mother's Day, it can be hard to articulate what we really want to the ones who want to spoil us. In short: it's a lot. In this week's Episode 311, Meagan and Sarah validate why Mother's Day can be complicated, reflect on our own celebrations during different seasons of life, and offer ideas for how to celebrate in a way that feels right to you this year.

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Are we "car people"? Turns out, yes and no. After 25+ years of driving, Meagan and Sarah have many stories and a few opinions on what we want in our four-wheeled rides. From first cars to true lemons, minivans to post-divorce pre-mid-life-crisis splurges, this More Than Mom episode is an ode to our vehicles. We also chat about the process of procuring a new car, how much haggling at the dealer is a sport we do NOT enjoy, and what we hope for in our future cars.

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Big news: Sarah is joining the Parents Of Teenagers club! In honor of Sarah's oldest turning 13, Meagan taps into wisdom gained from over a decade of parenting teens and gives Sarah the real story. We unpack some stereotypes about teens (they're moody! they're smelly! they're obsessed with their phones!) and find out what's totally true, what's sometimes true, and what might very much depend on the kid. We also explore some of the best and sweetest parts of parenting teens, validate that these are often very lonely years for moms, and compare teenage milestones to those reached earlier in childhood.

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Whether it’s a career pivot, a creative passion, a relationship change, or just one of life’s unexpected twists, most women find themselves in a season of reinvention at least once. Today Meagan and Sarah are here with a surprise bonus episode, chatting about the idea of reinvention, how it intersects with motherhood and raising young kids, and how Meagan’s new podcast celebrates women reinventing themselves in a variety of wonderful ways. Join us for a fun conversation, followed by an extended excerpt from Season 1 of the Mother of Reinvention show.

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Whether it's pulling out the puke bucket juuuuuussst in the nick of time, or speeding across the room while pregnant to save a toddler from a toppling accident, we all know that feeling of doing what needs to be done in the moment without so much as a conscious thought. Call it quick-thinking, mom-heroics, or just another day in the life of parenting young kids, but these are moments that deserve to be celebrated. In Episode 309 Meagan and Sarah share stories from our own in-the-trenches days -- some truly life-or-death and others just, well, messy -- as a reminder that sometimes you have no idea just how strong, quick, clever, or brave you are until you're called into action.

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Hobbies outside of everyday work, life, and parenting ebb and flow as your season of life changes, but it's fun to think about what creative pursuits you'll add back in as time opens up. In today's More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah speak from the perspective of moms whose kids are getting older, and who are pursuing hobbies in our own (often very different) ways. We talk about what hobbies we're enjoying now, which ones we could imagine trying, in theory, without needing a total life overhaul, and then some "maybe someday" hobbies we can see ourselves enjoying much later on.

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Conversations around friendship in motherhood often center around those ride-or-die besties that you just can't imagine life without (which, as we discussed last week, isn't always helpful). But as pandemic life has shown us in all kinds of ways, regular interactions with acquaintances, co-workers, fellow school parents, neighbors, and other "friendlies" are also really important to feeling rooted in a community and fulfilled in the friendship space. Today Meagan and Sarah look at these outer-circle relationships and share what 2021 looks like for us, how our listeners feel about the changes brought about by the past year, and what we hope our friendship landscape will look like a year from now.

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In a year that changed nearly everything about how humans connect and communicate, it's no surprise that friendships in motherhood have changed. Some deepened over the past year, as the pandemic gave us new ways to bond (and hard stuff to get real about). Some fell away, strained by distance or differences. And pandemic or no pandemic, not every close friendship is created equal, and they all go through seasons of change. In today's episode, part one of two all about friendships in motherhood, Meagan and Sarah look at "ride or die" friendships (including a critical look at what that even means). We talk about ways close friends can show up for each other when things are hard, how close friendships have adapted over the past year, and what to keep in mind if you're missing or grieving close friendships in your life right now.

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Our habits around media consumption are as unique as each of us is--and, when you think about it, there are quite a few little details that go into how each of us decides when, how, and where to listen to a podcast or pick up a book--not to mention the actual what of the content itself. Today's More Than Mom episode is a look at how Meagan and Sarah currently consume their listening and reading media, from bluetooth struggles to library holds. As we go, we'll recommend some shows and titles we've enjoyed so far this year too.

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Imagine being 13, the daughter of an influential megachurch pastor...and pregnant. That's how Sarah Jakes Roberts began her journey to motherhood - and she grappled with feelings of shame and questions surrounding her self-worth while wondering if she could ever afford to "dream big" again. Today, Sarah is a happily married mom of six kids, a pastor and sought-after speaker, and five-time book author. In today's Voices episode, Sarah tells Meagan about her journey from scared teen mom to mentor and leader, why she encourages moms to seek "soul care" as well as self-care, and how to dig deep to work toward purpose in your life.

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One year ago, springtime plans got canceled, Easter dinners and baby showers and birthday parties and all the rest vanished from our calendars one after another. As we shake off winter and look at the spring of 2021, there's something in the air. We know we're not out of the pandemic woods, but there's a feeling of optimism that was missing last year, and we're leaning all the way into it. In Episode 306 Meagan and Sarah share spring memories from when our kids were little, favorite rituals and traditions that make the season special, and what specific springtime activities we're embracing with extra gratitude this year in particular.

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Desiring a family culture of travel and adventure is one thing; pulling it off--and paying for it--is another thing altogether. But just because you’re not jetting off to international destinations doesn’t mean you and your family can’t cultivate that adventure spirit in meaningful ways. In today’s episode, Part Three in our series on family travel, Meagan looks back at many years of family adventures and meaningful memory-making. She offers validation for moms whose travel dreams don’t match up with their current reality, and makes a case for letting your kids see you handle travel’s ups, downs, and hassles with flexibility and a sense of humor. This is the pep talk we all need before hitting the road in 2021!

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Have you ever dreamed of taking your family on the road? It’s tempting--especially with the changes to work and school many families have experienced this past year. Chelsey Christiansen is a full-time working mom, and she and her husband and toddler son currently work and travel full-time out of their fifth-wheel camper. In today’s episode, Part Two in our three-part series on family travel, Meagan and Sarah chat with Chelsey to find out what road-living is like with a toddler, what they’ve learned about sharing a small space with a growing family, and how learning to roll with the punches of family travel have helped her become a more confident mom in general.

The post Family Travel, Part 2: Life On The Road…With A TODDLER? (What All Families Can Learn From Full-Time RV Living) appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Taking small kids on a trip is daunting: Where and how will everyone sleep? Can a rental cottage be baby-proofed? How will little ones used to a schedule and the structure of home deal with time zone changes and grandparents whose house rules differ from what they’re used to? In Part One of our three-part series on family travel, Sarah looks back on her extensive experience traveling with babies, toddlers, and kids--especially trips to the grandparents’ and in-laws’--and shares what worked, what didn’t, and what she’d do differently.

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Planning meals for the week is one thing; pulling them off is another altogether. In this fourth installment of our popular Week Of Real-Life Dinners series, Meagan and Sarah share what we served and ate the week of March 8, 2021. From springtime twitterpation that led to spontaneous fast-food tacos, to a reptilian kitchen squatter, things did not go as planned for us that week--which is part of the fun. We also share real-life meals served by listeners who wrote in with their own meal plans.

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It's always a toss-up: when discussing a new topic, will Meagan and Sarah be EXACTLY ALIKE (to the point that it's almost weird) or TOTALLY OPPOSITE? Turns out when it comes to our fantasy kitchens, we have a lot in common. Join us for a fun More Than Mom deep dive into the kitchens we grew up watching on television and in movies, thoughts on current home design trends and how we feel about them, and what our dream kitchens would look like.

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A stay-at-home mom wonders how best to re-enter the workforce, and another listener has questions about how to talk about working motherhood with our young kids. A mom of big kids wants our opinions on when it's OK to leave them home alone--and how best to get started. Listener voicemails about house rules around swearing and the conflicting emotions of motherhood round out another Listener Questions episode this week. It's a fun one!

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A mom of two littles is overwhelmed and yelling more than she wants to be; young adults at a family gathering forget that little ears are listening. Helping kids become more independent in the kitchen doesn't always go smoothly; a preschool perfectionist is a head-scratcher for mom; and a mom of all boys wonders if they'll all grow up and live far from home one day. Today's episode takes on these questions from our listener community, and Meagan and Sarah offer a mix of validation, encouragement, and advice.

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The real question is: are we still entertained by squirrels as much as we were last spring? You'll have to listen to find out! In today's More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah take a deep dive into diversions, 2021-style. We're not as cooped up as last March, but things aren't back to normal yet either. From this in-between place we talk about a little of everything: board games for adults, TV and books, home improvement and gardening, fitness, beauty, and more. (And squirrels, obvs.)

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Kendra Adachi is The Lazy Genius. Either you know and love her already, or you're about to. Kendra's principles for finding YOUR best middle ground between perfectionism and giving up are helping moms everywhere decide what matters, ditch what doesn't, and get stuff done. In this month's Voices interview Kendra joins Sarah to talk about how Lazy Genius principles got put to the test during the early months of the pandemic, how moms in the trenches can be gentler on themselves and still feel fulfilled, and why acknowledging the season you're in just might be the key to enjoying it. PLUS, Kendra helps Sarah solve a frustrating home management issue using The Lazy Genius method in real time.

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Whether schools in your area are open in-person, on a hybrid model, or fully remote, chances are that March is looking different than September did. And believe it or not, we’re already looking toward the end of the year. In Episode 302 Meagan and Sarah share how our own kids are doing at this point

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Whether it’s for a weekend, a season, or a decade, parenting on your own introduces challenges and complications at every turn. Expanding on the conversation we began last week, today’s episode--part two in our this is solo parenthood. series--dives into practical tips from seasoned moms on how to survive solo parenting’s tougher moments. From bedtimes to me-time, routine changes to feelings of loneliness, Meagan and Sarah share some been-there-done-that tips from our own seasons of parenting solo, as well as tap into the wisdom of The Mom Hour community.

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One of us co-slept throughout the baby and toddler stage, and let naps happen whenever and wherever. The other sleep trained and held tight to nap schedules even through the preschool years. While our differences in the realm of sleep are worth digging into, just as interesting are the shared feelings we experienced, even at opposite ends of the spectrum. We both felt judged at times; we both made choices around our social lives because of how our babies slept (or didn't sleep). Among our combined eight kids we experienced good sleepers, terrible sleepers, and several in the middle--plus a host of "sleep surprises" that cropped up later on. Join Meagan and Sarah for Episode 301, a look at infant, toddler, and kid sleep through the comforting lens of hindsight with a healthy dose of "It's all gonna be OK."

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Sarah is wearing children's sweatpants and leaving the house in her slippers. Meagan has cracked the code on being Zoom-face-ready AND workout-available with a single outfit. It may not look like the mom-style we aspired to you a few years ago, but it's working for February 2021. Today's More Than Mom episode is a (very) honest, semi-pantsless look at the state of our style situation right now. We share what we're wearing, what's working well, items we're in search of, and where we need serious help as we look ahead to spring.

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From divorce to deployment, from single parenthood by choice to splitting shifts and making it work, every solo parenting experience comes with its own challenges. In today’s episode--Part One in our #ThisIsSoloParenthood series--you’ll hear from four moms who do the majority (or all) of the work of parenting on their own. Each shares honestly about both loneliness and joy, feeling alone and finding support, and what they’ve learned about themselves by parenting solo.

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Today's episode is a party and YOU're invited! Yes you, whether you're a brand-new listener or have been with us from the very beginning. Ever the planner, Sarah surprises Meagan with a some fun facts and a pop quiz; ever the fun one, Meagan shows up ready for anything. We share some memories, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and reflections on the community that has grown around this podcast over the last 300 Tuesdays.

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Early in the pandemic, takeout from local restaurants, pantry cleanouts, and epic baking marathons made a lot of sense for the crazy new world we were living in. An entire year in, however, and the lingering habits and longterm effects of feeding our families in survival-mode are more clear. Today Meagan and Sarah look at what's changed about the way we snack, cook, shop, and serve in the last year - for better and for worse. We share the parts of feeding our families that are working well right now and also the parts where we need some help.

The post Feeding Our Families in 2021 (More Snacks, Less Guilt & Keeping It All In Perspective): Episode 299 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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It's February, and everybody loves a deep dive into childhood crushes, right? For this week's More Than Mom episode, Meagan has many questions for us both about our failed early attempts at love and relationships. From preschool through high school, from celebrities to real-life boys from days gone by, we're laughing our way through this walk down a rose-petal-strewn memory lane.

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The pandemic has shaken everything up, and our kids' diets and family's eating habits are no exception. In this month's Voices interview, Meagan talks to Julie Revelant, food and health writer, mom of two, and host of the new podcast Food Issues. Listen to Julie's thoughts on how COVID-19 has affected everything from school lunches to snacking habits, the sneaky ways marketers are introducing junk food to children (including "kid influencers" and even online learning platforms!) and how you can give yourself a break and stay flexible while still helping your kids become "little foodies."

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Register for kindergarten, or wait another year? Scrap the distance learning and opt into a homeschool program, or stick it out and hope campus opens in the fall? Stick with what your friends and neighbors are doing, or blaze your own trail when it comes to kids' education? There is no end to the list of questions parents face when it comes to making school decisions - and many of them crop up around this time of year when applications and registrations come due. In Episode 298 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer seven guiding principles to consider when making any school decision, from preschool through high school. We can't help you decide or tell you what to do, but today we're here to validate the struggle and give you our experience.

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Getting pregnant was relatively easy for Dani Kilgore and her husband William, who looked forward to growing a family after getting married in 2009. But for Dani, a former teacher and soccer coach who now serves as a pastor in a church, staying pregnant proved challenging. Through miscarriage and preterm labor, a premature birth and

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Whether it's a medical emergency, a surprise diagnosis, upheaval at school, or a mental health situation, most moms will at some point be called to fight hard for their kid's health, safety, and best interests. And when that moment comes, you might be surprised at what's most challenging and what's most helpful. In Episode 297 Meagan shares publicly for the first time a recent family crisis that put her in a position where she had to quickly and fiercely advocate for one of her kids. She shares what she learned - and is still learning - and how the lessons apply to advocating for our kids, even when we're not in crisis.

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Containing our kids' chaos is one thing; keeping track of our OWN stuff is another altogether. To round out our recent series of episodes about where to put all the STUFF of family life, Meagan and Sarah chat about how we store and organize all the things that fall under "mom's domain." From our bathroom counters to our nightstand drawers, the kitchen "drop zone" to mask and mitten management, we're here to share what works, what we're working on, and where we need serious help.

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We love all of our kids – but does each of them FEEL our love in the same way? In Episode 296 Meagan and Sarah take on the famous five love languages as a framework for talking about how we most naturally show love to our kids–and also how they receive it. We talk about our own primary love languages and how they shape the ways we tend to show affection, and also look at the changing dynamics of parent-kid love through the growing-up years.

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With nearly a year of “everything’s cancelled!” behind us, and facing down an early 2021 of “Who knows?”, we’ve all learned a couple things: Truth #1: We all need to set goals and make plans to stay on course and keep working toward our deepest priorities, especially when life is unpredictable. Truth #2: When life is unpredictable, it feels really hard to set goals. How do we make these two realities jive?

The solution: goal setting with a big dose of self-awareness and self-empathy. As 2020 taught us, things aren’t always going to look exactly the way we plan, but that doesn’t mean goal-setting is cancelled! From our personal finances to family priorities; hobbies and household projects to travel (what?!) and extracurricular activities, Sarah and Meagan are here with a real-life conversation about goal-setting that will meet you where you are and help you plan what you can – while allowing a lot of flexibility for the things that may change along the way.

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Art supplies taking over your shared space? Losing library books under piles of what-even-IS-this-stuff? Ready for a January re-set of your home's organization systems? You're not alone. This week Meagan and Sarah continue the conversation about where to put all the STUFF of family life, covering arts and crafts, board games and puzzles, super-sized play stuff, and all those wonderful books. We also touch on ways to know if an organizational system will work for you and your family - because, as we've found, one size does NOT fit all.

The post Where To Put All The STUFF (Part Two): Episode 295 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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The holidays are behind us, but they've left their mark on our homes: mostly in the form of more STUFF to store. Meagan and Sarah have logged decades of toy sorting and stuff-storing and in this week's episode share our experience finding just the right spot for all that brightly colored plastic. We talk about LEGO, we talk about stuffies and dolls; we remember the days of itty bitty sets and giant toddler ride-on toys. By the end of this episode we hope you'll feel like you already have the space and sense required to store your kids' stuff - no fancy bins required.

The post Where To Put All The STUFF (Part One): Episode 294 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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For those who love to plan ahead, the past year has been a huge challenge–and the shiny promise of a brand new year feels a little lackluster as we look toward 2021. Is planning and goal-setting permanently on hold, shuttered just like schools and gyms and concerts? Sarah Hart-Unger says no. Our first Voices interview episode of 2021 features two Sarahs: host Sarah Powers chats with guest Sarah Hart-Unger about how to approach planning and goal-setting this year. We talk about the importance of reflecting on 2020, even though it didn’t go as planned, how to “pandemic-proof” your goals for 2021, and why the annual exercise of looking back and looking forward is still valuable. Sarah also answers your listener questions on the nitty-gritty of planning and goal setting.

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Meagan and Sarah tiptoe very cautiously into the waters of futurecasting in today's episode, still through the hazy, cheese-filled lens of that strange week between Christmas and New Year's. We talk about where our kids and home lives will be one year from now and what that means for the evolution of our family units. We meditate on all that was stripped away in 2020, and when and how it may start to return in the coming year. And we also share the things we're MOST excited to return to post-pandemic, as well as a few things we don't ever need to go back to the way they were.

The post Hopes For An Uncertain Year: Episode 293 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Last week the ghost of holidays past took us on a tour of our past lives as moms of littles during the Christmas season. This week, as we continue the loosest of adaptations of A Christmas Carol, Meagan and Sarah sit with the reality of the present moment. We talk about how this holiday season will differ from the 2020-that-could-have-been, and about how things have changed as our kids have grown, with or without a global crisis. As we head into the final few days before Christmas, we also share some of the small details about what our homes and lives are like right now, in an effort to capture--and even be grateful for--the present moment.

The post Acknowledging Holidays Present (Truth Talk About Where We Are This Season): Episode 292 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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In our very own motherhood-inspired take on A Christmas Carol, Meagan and Sarah are visited by the ghost of holidays past for today's episode. Join us as we peek in at our younger-mom selves by sharing moments and memories from years gone by. There are gift mishaps, angry pregnant lady meltdowns, Christmas tree disasters, and convenience store dinners--all shared to help you remember that no matter what goes down this month, someday it will be but a memory.

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From spiced nuts to festive cocktails, traditional meat-and-sides dinners to nostalgic or cultural throwbacks, holiday menus are wide open for interpretation. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah chat about the holiday food memories we carry from childhood, how those patterns changed as we formed our own families, and what a typical Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meal looks like these days. We share favorites and recipes, along with family quirks and fuzzy memories; it's a fun one!

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When you feel the pressure to do, make, or be something this holiday season, pause and ask yourself three questions. Does this TRULY matter to me? Is the PROCESS joyful or meaningful (or is it that others make the product look so easy)? And--a big one--what if I DON'T? In Episode 290 Meagan and Sarah offer gut-checks on some of the biggest pressures moms feel during the holiday season--from magazine-worthy living rooms to the mental load of shopping for (and giving gift ideas to) a large extended family--and offer concrete tips for releasing yourself from expectations of perfection in pursuit of a peaceful season.

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Obsessive nail-painting rituals, facial hair secrets, fussy skincare routines, and blame-it-on-COVID changes to our general beauty and personal grooming habits: today's More Than Mom episode is 9 parts confessional, 1 part helpful...but oh, we think you'll enjoy it. Join Meagan and Sarah as we share--sometimes sheepishly--the bizarre beauty rituals and personal grooming habits we just can't quit.

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Routines: everyone has them, whether you've created them intentionally or fallen into them by chance. In today's episode, Meagan talks with Ashley Brown, a full-time working mom of two girls ages 3 and 1, enthusiastic Enneagram 1, and the creator of Routine & Things. After leaving the workforce to be a stay-at-home mom to her oldest daughter, Ashley found herself depressed and struggling to stay afloat; creating intentional routines around everything from self-care to cleaning the kitchen proved to be the secret sauce that helped get her life back in order.

The post How To Create At-Home Routines So You Can Live With Intention (And Get Stuff Done!): Voices 55 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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A preschooler is obsessed with screen-time after some COVID-related relaxation of the rules; how can the family get back on track? Another mom wonders how to meet the very different needs of multiple kids at the same time, and still another wants to know: WHERE DO ALL THE SOCKS GO? Then we tackle indoor physical play for little kids, talking honestly about the death of a grandparent, and the weirdest holiday gifts our kids have ever asked for. It's a jam-packed Listener Questions episode!

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When friendships are strained by politics and the pandemic, how can a lonely mom re-envision her social life? What ideas do we have for family bonding as kids get older? Can Meagan distill her best parenting advice into five minutes or less? And finally, the sibling bickering is non-stop--what's a mom to do? Join us for Episode 288 of The Mom Hour where we take YOUR listener questions and offer our best solicited advice.

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There's plenty to debate about the holidays in 2020 - and it doesn't ALL have to be gloomy and stressful. We're kicking off Thanksgiving week with very lively, mostly half-baked debates about holiday controversies that bear little consequence on anything. To find out whether we think eggnog is disgusting or delightful, who among us prefers multicolored exterior illumination, whether Baby, It's Cold Outside is CANCELLED or actually feminist, and what we actually think of Love, Actually, join us for today's silly and festive More Than Mom episode.

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Shopping mindfully or practicing conscious consumerism can be a powerful way to show our support to struggling or underrepresented businesses this holiday season. It can also be, to use a phrase we lean on more and more these days, A LOT. It's a lot to think about, it can be overwhelming to navigate, and it definitely can put strain on your budget. In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah discuss where we our in our own shopping priorities, what we'd like to do more of this holiday season, and how we've practiced mindful shopping recently. We also talk through some specific purchases we've made through small online retailers recently, as a way to get your creative wheels turning.

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The animals in our lives have certainly had an interesting year, what with all the working and learning from home. Many families whose work/life situations previously caused them to hold off on pet-ownership took the plunge and got a pandemic puppy. And COVID or no COVID, our kids never stop asking to add to our respective menageries. Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun look at life with family pets, especially through the lens of 2020. We'll talk about pandemic puppies, the Powers family's adventure in fostering a litter of kittens, and the merits and drawbacks of various small animal pets.

The post Pandemic Puppies, Foster Kittens & A Small Animal Pet Debate: Episode 286 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We know that winter 2020-2021 will require all the tips and tricks to keep us going--and it's not even mid-November yet! Today's More Than Mom episode is all about the concept of COZY, and how Meagan and Sarah like to bring it into our wardrobes, menus, and homes. Join us for a fun chat about cozy clothes we're eyeing, how we manage the temperature in our homes when it's cold out, and what food and drinks sound best for a cozy mood.

The post More Than Mom: Getting Cozy appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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When Whitnee Hawthorne was a new mom working a full-time corporate job she had trouble finding resources for women in her position--so she set out to create them. Now a mom of two and still working full-time for a Fortune 500 company, Whitnee helps other moms find their joy and achieve their goals. In this month's Voices interview, Sarah chats with Whitnee about the morning and evening routines that set each day up for success, the regular practices that can help busy moms reflect and remember their feeling of purpose, and the time management tips that every mom needs (whether or not she works outside the home).

The post Time Management & Productivity Tips For Savvy Working Moms: Voices 54 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We've all heard the terms 'mental load' and 'emotional labor,' but it's easy to toss them around without pausing to really understand what's happening in our minds and bodies when we carry prolonged stress with us in our roles as mothers and household managers. Today Meagan and Sarah look at the different ways stress manifests in our own bodies (and psyches), and offer concrete tips for managing feelings of burnout in a particularly challenging season.

The post Emotional Labor, Burnout & Completing The Stress Cycle: Episode 285 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Listener Alana wrote to us recently to ask if we have a handy list of medicine cabinet must-haves for cold and flu season. We do not have such a list, but we have much to say! In Episode 284 Meagan and Sarah talk through various ages, stages, and accompanying ailments we've been able to treat at home--we are VERY clear that we're not doctors, but we are moms who have seen a lot, from owies to skin troubles, fevers to congestion. And if there's ever a year to make sure your family's medicine cabinet is stocked with the supplies that best support your home healthcare philosophy, 2020 is IT.

The post Stocking Your Family’s Medicine Cabinet For Cold & Flu Season: Episode 284 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Meagan and Sarah have both experienced parenting in three different decades now, and it reminded us of those old magazine spreads that talked about fashion or makeup (or fill-in-the-blank) in your 20's, 30's, and 40's. Join us for a fun More Than Mom episode where we look at both the benefits and challenges to having had kids when we did--with full recognition that there are upsides and downsides to any decade and any motherhood timeline.

The post More Than Mom: Motherhood In Your 20’s, 30’s & 40’s appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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This episode contains a story of pregnancy loss. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and recently we’ve seen online and in celebrity culture a few examples of women talking must more openly about their loss experiences, even sharing very vulnerable photos with the world like Chrissy Teigan did earlier this month. Here at The Mom Hour, we are 100% on board with movements that make moms feel less alone in their experience, so we think it’s really important to continue sharing these stories. In today's special bonus episode, Sarah talks with Leeann Dearing about her personal experience with pregnancy loss. Leeann is an actress, entrepreneur and proud homeschool mom, and she's also co-founder of the funny mom duo and viral video company Leeann & Michelle, whose videos you have probably seen taking over the internet.

The post BONUS: A Conversation About Pregnancy Loss With Leeann Dearing appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Older kids and teenagers are experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime event--and they're old enough to have thoughts about it. As moms, watching our kids miss out on social interactions and developmental rites of passage is tough, as is finding new ways to support their independence and hold boundaries when they push back. In Episode 283 Meagan and Sarah continue last week's discussion about the very specific parenting challenges brought about by COVID-19, this time with a focus on big kids, tweens, and teens.

The post How COVID Complicates Parenting, Stage By Stage (Part 2: Big Kids, Tweens & Teens) appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Separation anxiety. Potty training. Speech and language development. Socialization. These cornerstones of child development and the parenting experience can bring up questions or create bumps in the road in normal times--but we are not living in normal times, friends. We're living in COVID times. In Episode 282 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah look at the really specific (and sometimes heartbreaking) ways that the last eight months have complicated the motherhood experience for parents of infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

The post How COVID Complicates Parenting, Stage By Stage (Part 1: Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers): Episode 282 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We're all dreaming about getting away right now, but traditional travel and typical vacations don't feel like they're going to be a thing for, well, a while. So today Meagan and Sarah are dreaming BIG - stranded on a deserted island big. Join us for a silly--but somehow also theraputic in 2020?--exercise in hypothetical thinking. We discuss what we'd bring with us to an island escape, what our fantasy island dwelling would be like, and how we'd spend our time.

The post More Than Mom: Meagan And Sarah Get Stranded On A Deserted Island appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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This month kicks off the fall holiday season in the strangest year of all of our lives, and moms everywhere seem to be asking the same thing: what do we do about Halloween? From helping older kids deal with expectations-vs-COVID-reality, to finding safe ways for littler kids to celebrate, Meagan and Sarah unpack it all in Episode 281. We also touch on some tips for dealing with our own holiday disappointment as moms, and share some insight about holiday traditions in general to set the tone for the next few months.

The post Halloween Isn’t Canceled (And Other Thoughts About Holidays In 2020): Episode 281 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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As moms, our bodies change a lot and we don't always feel like we have permission to invest in our personal style, but what we wear makes a huge difference in how we feel. After Meagan said this to Sarah recently, she decided to call on personal stylist Dacy Gillespie for help...and you get to listen in! Dacy is creator of The Mindful Closet, where she offers both one-on-one personal styling and shopping services, as well as courses and information on editing your closet, shopping more mindfully and creating a look that is really you. And, as Dacy shows us in this episode, we don't have to spend a lot of money to pare down our wardrobes and add new pieces more mindfully. Dacy also teaches us how to shop online more successfully and offers closet organization tips to make getting dressed easier.

The post How To Create A Mindful Closet (And Discover Clothes You Truly Love): Voices 53 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We've covered the hard stuff: leaky everything, blinding exhaustion, night sweats. But the fourth trimester, or postpartum period, has its perks as well. In Episode 280 Meagan and Sarah take turns sharing their favorite memories of postpartum life with a newborn--without glossing over what we ALL know to be true: it's not easy. Join us for the latest in our "10 Things We Love About..." series!

The post 10 Things We Love About The 4th Trimester: Episode 280 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We challenged you to ask us your most burning questions--but not about parenting for once! And wow, did you deliver. Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun, silly, and sometimes serious More Than Mom episode featuring your questions about our perfect day, favorite Hamilton songs, thoughts on dating after divorce, and whether we consider ourselves religious. PLUS a big announcement at the top of the show that you won't want to miss.

The post More Than Mom: Ask Us Anything! appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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"Zoom school" is in session in both our homes, although the programs and schedules are very different for our six school-aged kids, grades two through eleven. In this week's episode we check in about how remote learning is going for our elementary, middle, and high schoolers, giving an honest assessment of the areas that are going better than expected (or worse...or just about the same). We also pool our experience to share some strategies for keeping kids motivated and engaged, and recommend some purchases to set up your home as a learning environment.

The post Home Learning Success Strategies + Our Kids’ Fall Schooling Update: Episode 279 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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It's not if but when: losing your cool with your kids is part of motherhood (especially during a global pandemic). Sometimes we yell, sometimes we cry, and sometimes we stomp our feet like a toddler or sass-talk like a tween. If you do any of these things too, we can assure you you're not alone--and it's not too late to practice the art of recovery. In Episode 278 of The Mom Hour Meagan and Sarah talk about the different types of mom-meltdowns we're prone to, and what repair and recovery can look like when we've lost it with our families.

The post How To Recover When You Lose Your Cool: Episode 278 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Nothing feels the same as it did six months ago, and in today's return of our More Than Mom series, Meagan and Sarah are looking at the weirdest ways we've changed since March. From some out-of-character purchases to new routines and habits, we're here to discuss some of more idiosyncratic details of our strange new normal.

The post More Than Mom: COVID Made Us Do It (Weird Ways We’ve Changed Since March) appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Meagan and Sarah are both refocusing on personal spending this fall, after a strange pandemic spring and summer brought about changes to the family budget. In today's episode we look at the areas of our spending that have changed since March, and talk through tips and strategies we're using to save money right now. From working with a financial planner to buying secondhand, reevaluating dinner delivery and doing an audit on those pesky auto-renew subscriptions, we're here with seven strategies make a difference to our families' bottom lines this fall.

The post 7 Ways We’re Saving Money This Fall: Episode 277 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Back-to-school season usually means a refreshing change of schedule and, for many parents, fewer hours with kids in the house. This year, the way we use our homes for school, work, and leisure look very different--but that doesn't mean we can't harness some of that familiar fall energy and tackle clutter in a new way for a new reality. Join Sarah and longtime listener/community member Mandy Yang for a look at how the Konmari method of decluttering can serve us as we set up our homes for one of the stranger seasons in memory. We talk about repurposing items you already own, how to help kids part with their "treasures," and why the Konmari method is so often misunderstood.

The post Decluttering Your Home For The Weirdest Fall Season Ever: Voices 52 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We're kicking back for a casual chat this week, taking time to update listeners on some of the behind-the-scenes events in both our lives lately. From the details of Sarah's move to what's coming up this fall on the podcast, from Meagan's annual end-of-summer malaise to her anticipation of a revamped time-blocking system for fall 2020, these are the little (and big) conversational rabbit holes we don't always have time for on the podcast.

The post Behind The Scenes & End Of Summer Catch-Up: Episode 276 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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An eight-year-old with a "can't-do" attitude and a ten-year-old who struggles to bounce back after little setbacks (two more in an accidental series of questions that we're affectionately calling "boys with bad attitudes"): Meagan and Sarah have thoughts--and personal experience--for the moms of these kids. Then Sarah weighs in on a question about how to use an "okay to wake" clock with a clever three-year-old, and Meagan validates a mom of a clingy preschooler with big feelings. Today's episode brings you four more listener questions and our advice--check it out!

The post Listener Questions (Vol. 27): Episode 275 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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How to make friends and cultivate community after a move; contemplating a third baby and wondering if the older two will ever play together nicely; answering questions about puberty and other growing-up topics; and dealing with a five-year-old who is never satisfied: Meagan and Sarah take four listener questions in this week's episode of The Mom Hour.

The post Listener Questions (Vol. 26): Episode 274 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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If we've learned anything since March, it's that little things can make a big difference in our moods. In Episode 273 Meagan and Sarah revisit the idea of small comforts for unprecedented times, little pleasures that can't solve a global pandemic but do offer a quick pick-me-up. From recent Etsy finds to a new fitness tracking gadget, pretty kitchen towels to a return to yoga, you'll come away with ideas for bringing a little comfort into your days as we look ahead to fall.

The post More Small Comforts (Because This Isn’t Over Yet): Episode 273 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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With schools across the country increasingly moving in the direction of online-only attendance in the fall, many moms are asking: "How do we make this work?" While homeschool pods, cutting back hours at work and other creative solutions may be a temporary solution for some families, there are many others for whom these options are not on the table. And there's no doubt that moms are unfairly shouldering the brunt of this crisis (as we are so often expected to do). In this month’s Voices interview, Meagan talks with Anne Halsall, co-founder and CPO of online child-care directory Winnie; listen as they dig into issues around work, parenting, and inequality that this pandemic has uncovered—and discuss some reassuring news about the safety and availability of licensed daycare to fill some of those gaps.

The post COVID-19, Working Moms, and the Child-Care Crisis: Voices 51 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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The messes start even before the baby is born, and they don't stop...they just change form as the years progress. In Episode 272 Meagan and Sarah look back at some of the most epic messes of our mothering years--from diaper blowouts to parking lot puke, glitter explosions to stinky wadded up socks, we're getting gross today, all in the name of making you laugh and feel like you're not alone (whatever mess you're facing today!). Enjoy!

The post The Messes Of Motherhood: Episode 272 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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After listening to moms around the country share their feelings about schools re-opening (or not), Meagan and Sarah continue the discussion we started last week by looking at the challenges facing families this fall. We touch on the core drivers of school decision-making--academics, childcare, kids' social-emotional health, and community health--and talk through the pros and cons of some of the likely learning scenarios on the table for kids. Just like last week, this is an inclusive conversation meant to bring encouragement and understanding, no matter where you are in your school decision for Fall 2020.

The post School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 2): Episode 271 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Virtual, on campus, hybrid, or homeschool? For many families, it isn't even a choice; it's whatever the local district decides. For some families, opting out, changing schools, waiting an extra year, or enrolling in an independent study program are options that are still on the table. For everyone, it's an extraordinarily confusing, stressful, and uncertain time to be looking ahead at Fall 2020. With inclusion, empathy, and nonjudgment leading the way, Meagan and Sarah kick off a two-part series unpacking the challenges of sending kids to school this fall. We talk from personal experience about our "plans" (ha!) for our own kids, and we also bring you the voices of more than a dozen listeners who share what things are like in their communities.

The post School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 1): Episode 270 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Remember makeup? And going places? We miss it. Join Meagan and Sarah for a light and fun more-than-mom-ish conversation about how our makeup style has changed from our teen and young adult years through today, which looks and trends from the past make us cringe, some products and techniques we're playing with lately, whether and how staying at home has changed our daily makeup approach, and more.

The post Makeup & Mom Life: Episode 269 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Regression. Clinginess. Tantrums. Bedtime battles. Mood struggles. We're hearing from moms all over the world about the toll that 2020 is taking on children, from toddlers up through teens. We've had so many posts and questions in our Facebook group that for this month's Voices interview we decided to bring back Dr. Erin Lanphier, a child psychologist, therapist in private practice, and university professor. Dr. Erin chats with Sarah about these and other struggles kids are having right now, how to know when it's time to act versus cut your kid a little slack, and what options are available for parents who want to seek outside support for behavioral or mental health struggles.

The post Supporting Kids’ Behavioral Health As The Pandemic Stretches On: Voices 50 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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No matter what's going on in the world around you, the people need to eat. In Episode 268 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah break down the process of feeding a family when you're going through a major life transition (or, say, a global pandemic). We talk about why meal plans are even MORE crucial in chaotic times, how to get fruits and veggies into the kids even when you're serving up convenience food more often than you'd like, and how to stick to your "food values" even as you let some of your standards slide for a season.

The post Feeding A Family When Things Are In Flux: Episode 268 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Moving while momming is no small task--and we've been there, trust us. Meagan has mastered the art of the DIY cross-town move to a new home with a whole bunch of kids; Sarah's moves have been fewer and farther between, but also farther in distance and bigger in scope. Join us as we continue last week's discussion about big moves and get into the details of actually packing up and relocating your family.

The post Big Moves, Part Two (Prepping, Packing, Relocating): Episode 267 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Do you dream of packing up the family and moving somewhere new? Or starting fresh in a different home or neighborhood? Maybe the idea of a move isn't yours, but has been introduced by a job change or prompted by family circumstance. In this first of a two-part series on big moves, Meagan and Sarah talk about fantasy moves, aspirational moves, and making the decision to actually move our families. We also look at all the considerations we've made when planning a big move--from schools and neighborhoods to house features and commute times. Whether you're dreaming of a move or happy where you are, this is a fun one.

The post Big Moves, Part One (Dreaming, Planning, Deciding): Episode 266 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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In hindsight, was the worry worth it? That's the question Meagan and Sarah are looking at in this week's episode, as we bring back a popular series all about things that stressed us out as less experienced moms. From nutrition and discipline to kids' friendships and developmental milestones, we look at the worries that kept us up at night and how it all turned out in the end.

The post More Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About: Episode 265 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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For the first time in generations, many of us are reexamining how often we shop, where we get our groceries, and what household essentials we might be able to make at home instead of running out to buy. But this month's Voices guest Kris Bordessa has been teaching families how to live more sustainably for years. Hear Meagan get Kris's take on the bake-your-own-bread craze, why so many adults feel like they never really learned to cook, and how growing your own food or making soap doesn't have to be overwhelming. They also discuss Kris's new book, Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living.

The post Starting Small With Self-Reliant Living: Voices 49 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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We may be staying closer to home this summer, but we still want to feel good about the way we look! Join Meagan and Sarah for an update on our warm weather wardrobes, from which pieces have served us in past summers to what we're eyeing for purchase this year. We talk about tops and bottoms, undergarments and swimwear, shoes and accessories.

The post Flattering Summer Fashion For Moms: Episode 264 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan talks to her niece Cecily and her nephew Mario about their experiences as young black people living in today’s world. The discussions are at times raw and may make you squirm, but we’re hoping they will also make you think, learn, and hopefully, continue the conversation in your own homes, families, and communities.

The post Talking About Racism As A Family (A Candid Conversation With Meagan’s Niece & Nephew) appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Summer 2020 isn't going to be like any other summer in our memories--and it's not going to look like whatever we'd dreamed up in midwinter before the pandemic hit. Still, Meagan and Sarah have ideas for how we'd like to set up ourselves and our families for healthy routines, regular self care, and (is it possible?) even some fun outings this summer. Join us for a look ahead at the next few months as we set our realistic intentions for summer 2020.

The post (Realistic) Summer Schedule Intentions: Episode 263 appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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Allison is a minister in a church, finding new ways to lead her congregation while awaiting her second baby; Alison deals with the guilt of laying off foodservice employees and permanently shutting down a location of her café business; Starlynn owns an in-home daycare serving front-line families while navigating changing rules and regulations. All three are also working moms with all the demands of mothering and living through a global pandemic. Find out what's hard, what's hopeful, and what life is like in our final (for now!) episode of Pandemic Perspectives.

The post Pandemic Perspectives: Church Leader + Café Manager + Daycare Owner appeared first on The Mom Hour.

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With most of us staying at home for an unforeseen amount of time, managing our households to run efficiently and calmly is crucial to keeping the family machine plugging along and helping us create a positive mental space. From meal planning to cleaning schedules to keeping things organized, Meagan and Sarah will share 10 small habits that have the power to transform at-home life from frazzled, chaotic and marred by unmet expectations, to calm, reasonably-organized, and just-productive-enough.

About Our Sponsor

Packets Up! is an educational effort by the American Cleaning Institute to help parents and caregivers understand the importance of practicing laundry safety. We talked to cleaning expert Brian Sansoni to get tips for properly using, storing and handling those liquid laundry packets so that we can prevent accidents and keep our kids safe.

Safety Tips & Resources For Our Listeners

Store liquid laundry packets up high and out of sight and reach

Completely close and seal liquid laundry packet containers after use

Always store liquid laundry packets in their original containers

Call the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) immediately if a liquid laundry packet is ingested

Visit packetsup.com for more information and tools to help you prevent exposures from liquid laundry packets, and be sure to join the conversation on social media by following #PacketsUp for the latest laundry room safety tips and information. You can also order a free cling and put it on your cabinet as a safe storage reminder!

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Naming a new human is a big task--and a fun one, we think! Looking back over our combined eight experiences naming babies, Meagan and Sarah talk about how we decided on names (and whether our partners agreed on our favorites!), what went into middle name decisions, and which names we left on the table. We also explore how our kids have grown into their names, including unexpected nicknames, trends we didn't see coming, and more.

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Janice’s husband works in China and hasn’t been able to travel home to Australia since January; Kassidy and her partner have merged their combined five kids under the age of seven and are learning to live together while figuring out new ways to do their jobs; Stephanie returned from maternity leave just before the pandemic, resuming work as an ICU nurse in one of the country’s early hot spots. All three are also moms juggling the demands of caring for their families as the pandemic wears on. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Janice, Kassidy, and and Stephanie in Episode 07 of Pandemic Perspectives.

This episode was recorded on April 30, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities.

AND ALSO: Our Pandemic Perspective guests are moms just like you, doing their best with the resources they have. Their opinions do not necessarily represent those of the podcast, and the information they offer should not be taken as advice, medical or otherwise.

One Way Moms Can Help

Our friends at Crisis Text Line offer free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors – all delivered via text. And with a huge demand for extra mental health support right now, they’re working hard to build up an even larger base of volunteer crisis counselors.

You don’t have to have any particular education or work background to apply to be a volunteer – just a desire to help out, and empathy, which we know our listeners have so much of. Crisis Text Line provides all the training you’ll need to turn your desire to help into the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference.

Visit themomhour.com/ctl to submit your application and get started. And if you’re having a hard time right now and need some help, you can also get support right now! Text GO to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Share Your Pandemic Perspective

If you’d like to be interviewed for this project tell us your perspective here.

Send A Note To Another Mom

If you’d like to share a note of encouragement with one of the moms you heard on the podcast, send an email to hello@themomhour.com with Pandemic Perspectives in the subject line and we’ll make sure to pass along your note.

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As the country begins to open up–slowly, differently, uncertainly–one family’s decisions about how to re-enter the world will look different from the next. Can we have confidence in our own decisions while holding space for others to interpret guidelines differently? Are criticism and judgment online a symptom of quarantine fatigue, or the beginning of a toxic new norm? And can the experience of new motherhood provide lessons about empathy that apply in these unprecedented times? Meagan and Sarah dive deep into big questions about shame, guilt, criticism, and judgment in Episode 261 of The Mom Hour. Join us!

This episode was recorded on May 18, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

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Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 261:

Our Pandemic Perspectives series

Send us an email! hello@themomhour.com

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Maddi works full-time in a warehouse picking product to be shipped for GAP while her three little boys try to make sense of the changes in their lives; Sarah is pregnant with her second child and working to meet the needs of vulnerable children in her community; Robyn is a 20-year elementary school teaching veteran learning the new ways of distance learning with her fourth grade class. All three are also moms whose home lives, work lives, and futures have been upended by COVID-19. Find out what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Maddi, Sarah, and Robyn in Episode 06 of Pandemic Perspectives.

This episode was recorded on April 30, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities.

AND ALSO: Our Pandemic Perspective guests are moms just like you, doing their best with the resources they have. Their opinions do not necessarily represent those of the podcast, and the information they offer should not be taken as advice, medical or otherwise.

One Way Moms Can Help

Our friends at Crisis Text Line offer free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors – all delivered via text. And with a huge demand for extra mental health support right now, they’re working hard to build up an even larger base of volunteer crisis counselors.

You don’t have to have any particular education or work background to apply to be a volunteer – just a desire to help out, and empathy, which we know our listeners have so much of. Crisis Text Line provides all the training you’ll need to turn your desire to help into the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference.

Visit themomhour.com/ctl to submit your application and get started. And if you’re having a hard time right now and need some help, you can also get support right now! Text GO to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Child welfare attorney Sarah recommends reaching out to the following agencies if you’re interested in helping support at-risk families during this time:

Your local child welfare agency

Your local juvenile or family court

Your local foster parent association

Your local CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) program

Share Your Pandemic Perspective

If you’d like to be interviewed for this project tell us your perspective here.

Send A Note To Another Mom

If you’d like to share a note of encouragement with one of the moms you heard on the podcast, send an email to hello@themomhour.com with Pandemic Perspectives in the subject line and we’ll make sure to pass along your note.

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We have MORE little pleasures to share this week! Continuing last week's discussion, Meagan and Sarah offer ten more small things that are bringing us comfort these days. From minor tweaks to the morning routine to the comfiest pants we've found, these are a combination of comforts you can add to your online shopping cart and simple pleasures that don't cost a thing.

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Christina’s brick and mortar fabric shop pivoted to mobilize mask-making for healthcare workers; Sarah facilitates distance learning for five kids while adjusting expectations for her own wedding celebration and plans to grow their blended family; Kati and her husband alternate day and night shifts at a steel mill and haven’t experienced “staying at home” at all. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of busy toddlers, kids missing sports, and what to make for dinner. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Christina, Sarah, and Kati in Episode 05 of Pandemic Perspectives.

This episode was recorded on April 30, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities.

AND ALSO: Our Pandemic Perspective guests are moms just like you, doing their best with the resources they have. Their opinions do not necessarily represent those of the podcast, and the information they offer should not be taken as advice, medical or otherwise.

One Way Moms Can Help

Our friends at Crisis Text Line offer free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors – all delivered via text. And with a huge demand for extra mental health support right now, they’re working hard to build up an even larger base of volunteer crisis counselors.

You don’t have to have any particular education or work background to apply to be a volunteer – just a desire to help out, and empathy, which we know our listeners have so much of. Crisis Text Line provides all the training you’ll need to turn your desire to help into the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference.

Visit themomhour.com/ctl to submit your application and get started. And if you’re having a hard time right now and need some help, you can also get support right now! Text GO to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Share Your Pandemic Perspective

If you’d like to be interviewed for this project tell us your perspective here.

Send A Note To Another Mom

If you’d like to share a note of encouragement with one of the moms you heard on the podcast, send an email to hello@themomhour.com with Pandemic Perspectives in the subject line and we’ll make sure to pass along your note.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Connect with our first guest, fabric shop owner Christina, on Facebook and Instagram

Check out Christina’s online shop, Domesticity Fabric Shop and Sewing Studio

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Stressors right now loom large, but sometimes solace comes in the form of lots of little bright spots. Today Meagan and Sarah compare notes on the little things that bring comfort, humor, and moments of happiness when things are intense in the world. From the silly to the slightly-less-silly, Episode 259 is full of ideas for how to notice–or, let’s be honest: purchase–small comforts in a chaotic time. Join us!

This episode was recorded on May 3, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Sponsor Spotlight: Care.com

Whether you need childcare while you’re at work or want to line up a date night sitter, Care.com can help you find sitters and nannies, PLUS housekeepers, dog walkers, senior care, tutors, errand runners and more. Save 30% off a premium membership by visiting care.com/momhour.

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself while supporting small women-owned businesses. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Sponsor Spotlight: Little Passports

Little Passports is a subscription box full of toys and games for kids ages 3 and up. There are subscription options for different ages and interests, with everything from science to world travel. For 15% off your order, use code Use offer code THEMOMHOUR at LittlePassports.com

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 259:

Listen to our (Very Specific!) Self-Care Strategies For Stressful Seasons episode

Sarah has been using this cold brew coffee maker (affiliate link)

Meagan’s mid-90’s country music Spotify playlist

Some bird feeders we like are this one and this one (affiliate links)

Meagan likes these Fabletics leggings with pockets

Check out our new series Pandemic Perspectives, and if you’d like to share your story fill out this form and we’ll be in touch

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Laura treats COVID-19 patients as a respiratory therapist during incredibly unstable times; Hilary supports the mental health of young adults and is adjusting to delivering services via telehealth; Carla is a social worker serving foster youth in Canada and bears the weight of her caseload while mothering three very young girls. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Laura, Hilary, and Carla in Episode 04 of Pandemic Perspectives.

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Living a creative life with small children underfoot is a challenge by any definition; doing it while running a business during a global pandemic is another thing altogether. For this month’s Voices interview Sarah chats with her good friend, fellow podcaster, and all-around good human Ashlee Gadd, founder of the wildly popular Coffee + Crumbs community. Ashlee shares thoughts on quarantine parenting, social media connection AND social media breaks, adjusting expectations when you’re an Enneagram 3, and how her writing and photography practices change during different seasons of motherhood. We also chat about home decor, home-wrecking toddlers, and more. Join us!

This episode was recorded on April 27, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Coffee + Crumbs

The Coffee + Crumbs 2020 Mother’s Day Brunch

The Magic of Motherhood book

Coffee + Crumbs Patreon Community (this is where the podcast is being published in 2020)

Ashlee’s personal blog

Ashlee’s Instagram

an example of Ashlee’s “experiment” with free-writing / poetry this year

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We’ve had lots of time to observe our kids in their natural habitats the last couple months…wherein their “natural habitat” is also OUR HOUSE. Turns out, we’re really glad we’ve passed on some basic life skills to these growing humans, because they’re doing pretty well in a lot of areas. It’s clear, however, that other life skills are still works-in-progress. In Episode 258 Meagan and Sarah take a lighter look at life skills–both the ones our kids have mastered as well as the ones that need improvement. Join us!

This episode was recorded on April 26, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Sponsor Spotlight: DRMTLGY

DRMTLGY focuses in on creating high-end skin care using the purest, safest, most clinically-proven active ingredients available. Mom Hour listeners get access to an exclusive kit, dermatologist recommended and clinically proven to prevent signs of aging. Go to themomhour.com/skincare to check out DRMTLGY’s special offer for our listeners

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code HOUR at skylightframe.com.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 258:

Our friend Christine Koh’s printable list of 100 Life Skills You Can Teach Your Kids In 5 Minutes or Less (be sure you’re listening to Edit Your Life and following Christine on Instagram @hellochristinekoh, because she’s FULL of great resources like this!)

Check out our new series Pandemic Perspectives, and if you’d like to share your story fill out this form and we’ll be in touch

Be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter!

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Kathryn is mom to four small girls and an attorney representing the most vulnerable kids in her state; Robyn and her husband are both on the front lines as an Emergency Room RN and a firefighter/paramedic; Kyria teaches social studies at a Bay Area high school and now instructs students from home while the baby (hopefully!) naps. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of clingy toddlers, remote-learning kids, and work-from-home demands. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Kathryn, Robyn, and Kyria in Episode 03 of Pandemic Perspectives.

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More than a month into safer at home, a day in the life of most moms looks nothing like it did before COVID-19. We’re living in close quarters with small humans (and big humans!) whom we love but may be used to getting an occasional break from. We’re parenting through a time of unprecedented stress. And we’re doing it all against a backdrop of Instagram-era expectations that can make us feel like we’re not measuring up. In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah take an honest look at the toll that nonstop-parenting in the time of COVID-19 takes on moms of young kids. We get real about the struggle, and then we dig into specific tips and strategies moms can employ in the name of building small breaks into long days. We offer tips for encouraging independent play, facilitating mixed-age sibling activities, and how we handle screen-time in our homes--all while helping moms lose the guilt and find small moments of joy during a stressful time.

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From making our first “mom friend” to the first time all of our children could stay home alone, today’s episodes celebrates the milestones that mark new phases of motherhood. Inspired by a listener question and the enthusiastic response we received for a whole episode on this topic, in Episode 257 Sarah and Meagan share twelve mom milestones, moments where we felt like we’d unlocked next-level parenting skills or shifted our identity as moms in a small-but-significant way. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Yippee

Yippee is a new streaming service for kids ages 2-10, and is giving parents options for screen time that they can feel good about. They have animated shows, live action shows, and you can stream on a tablet or on your streaming TV device. For 50% percent off your first three months, sign up at Yippee.tv and use promo code MOMHOUR50

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code HOUR at skylightframe.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: RapidLash

RapidLash is a safe, clinically proven and award winning lash enhancing serum that cosmetically boosts the look of your lashes in as little as 4 to 6 weeks. RapidLash is formulated with ingredients like Biotin, Amino Acids and Pumpkin Seed Extract – all designed to moisturize, protect and enhance the appearance of lashes. For 30% off go to RapidLash.com and use the code RAPID30.

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 257:

This episode was inspired by Geralis’ question, which we initially answered last week in Episode 256 (our answer starts at 51:17)

Check out our new series Pandemic Perspectives, and if you’d like to share your story fill out this form and we’ll be in touch

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Jessi watched the national shutdown play out from inside the PICU, where she and her husband were quarantined with their newborn twins (who are now home and doing great!); Gillian’s NYC-based medical practice undergoes huge changes while her family grieves a personal loss; Heather’s husband is on the front lines at the grocery store while she juggles working from home while parenting. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Jessi, Gillian, and Heather in Episode 02 of Pandemic Perspectives.

This episode was recorded on April 6-7, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities.

AND ALSO: Our Pandemic Perspective guests are moms just like you, doing their best with the resources they have. Their opinions do not necessarily represent those of the podcast, and the information they offer should not be taken as advice, medical or otherwise.

One Way Moms Can Help

Our friends at Crisis Text Line offer free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors – all delivered via text. And with a huge demand for extra mental health support right now, they’re working hard to build up an even larger base of volunteer crisis counselors.

You don’t have to have any particular education or work background to apply to be a volunteer – just a desire to help out, and empathy, which we know our listeners have so much of. Crisis Text Line provides all the training you’ll need to turn your desire to help into the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference.

Visit themomhour.com/ctl to submit your application and get started. And if you’re having a hard time right now and need some help, you can also get support right now! Text GO to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Share Your Pandemic Perspective

If you’d like to be interviewed for this project tell us your perspective here.

Send A Note To Another Mom

If you’d like to share a note of encouragement with one of the moms you heard on the podcast, send an email to hello@themomhour.com with Pandemic Perspectives in the subject line and we’ll make sure to pass along your note.

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Does a toddler "need" a formal preschool program if it isn't necessary for childcare purposes? Did we think about kids' birthday timing when we were planning (or not planning) our pregnancies? How can a physically active toddler channel his energy for good during stuck-inside days? And what are Meagan and Sarah's most memorable "mom milestones"? In this week's episode we answer these questions with our personal stories and (solicited!) advice.

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Casey is the director of an after-school program serving vulnerable communities; Megan teaches English online to students in China and watched their families experience COVID-19 before things got serious in the US; Jayme is weeks away from having her second baby and worries that being married to a hospital physician might separate their family. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of clingy toddlers, remote-learning kids, and work-from-home demands. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Casey, Megan, and Jayme in Episode 01 of Pandemic Perspectives.

This episode was recorded on April 6-7, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities.

AND ALSO: Our Pandemic Perspective guests are moms just like you, doing their best with the resources they have. Their opinions do not necessarily represent those of the podcast, and the information they offer should not be taken as advice, medical or otherwise.

One Way Moms Can Help

Our friends at Crisis Text Line offer free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors – all delivered via text. And with a huge demand for extra mental health support right now, they’re working hard to build up an even larger base of volunteer crisis counselors.

You don’t have to have any particular education or work background to apply to be a volunteer – just a desire to help out, and empathy, which we know our listeners have so much of. Crisis Text Line provides all the training you’ll need to turn your desire to help into the skills and knowledge you need to make a difference.

Visit themomhour.com/ctl to submit your application and get started. And if you’re having a hard time right now and need some help, you can also get support right now! Text GO to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Share Your Pandemic Perspective

If you’d like to be interviewed for this project tell us your perspective here.

Send A Note To Another Mom

If you’d like to share a note of encouragement with one of the moms you heard on the podcast, send an email to hello@themomhour.com with Pandemic Perspectives in the subject line and we’ll make sure to pass along your note.

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Join us for conversations with teachers, business owners, healthcare professionals, social workers, partners of first responders, and others who are living, working, and parenting their kids through the COVID-19 global pandemic in a unique or particularly challenging way.

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Working from home with little kids during COVID-19, moving a baby into a shared sibling bedroom, dealing with cancellation disappointment for both mom and kids, and finding small breaks in the long days of stay-at-home parenting: This week’s podcast episode is dedicated to your listener questions and our advice. Join us!

This episode was recorded on April 5, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Sponsor Spotlight: Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls

Rebel Girls is a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. We love the episodes about Ada Lovelace and Junko Tabei. To inspire the Rebel Girl in your life, find Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls on your favorite podcast player.

Sponsor Spotlight: DRMTLGY

DRMTLGY focuses in on creating high-end skin care using the purest, safest, most clinically-proven active ingredients available. Mom Hour listeners get access to an exclusive kit, dermatologist recommended and clinically proven to prevent signs of aging. Go to themomhour.com/skincare to check out DRMTLGY’s special offer for our listeners

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code MOMHOUR20 at checkout.

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 255:

You can find all of our listener questions episodes here

Have a question for Meagan and Sarah? Send us your question by email to hello@themomhour.com, or even better we love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!

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Meal planning is hard enough for busy families; now families are eating nearly all their meals at home, it's a next-level challenge. So for this month's Voices interview we're bringing back cookbook author and Didn't I Just Feed You? co-host Stacie Billis to talk about grocery shopping, what freezes well and when to freeze it, how to minimize food waste while adjusting to a new normal, the best pantry staples, and more.

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Plans vs. reality. Pretty menus vs. the aftermath of a spontaneous smörgåsbord. Now, more than ever, we find it fascinating to look back at what our families ate for dinner in a given week and how the reality of those meals departed from our best-laid plans. Meagan and Sarah (plus Kelsey from our team) each wrote down our dinners for the past week and we’re here to discuss what worked, what failed, and how we’re faring as we feed our families during a global pandemic. Join us!

This episode was recorded on March 28, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Call For Questions

We’re getting ready to record another set of Listener Questions episodes and we’d love to hear your voices! We’re hoping for a mix of coronavirus-related parenting questions AND those that are unrelated to current events; either way, send ’em on!

Use the form below to record your question (click here if you can’t see it), or use your phone’s voice memo recorded and email the file to hello@themomhour.com.

If you’ve emailed us a written question in the past and we haven’t answered it, try recording your voice! We prioritize audio questions. We also prioritize questions that are general enough to be helpful to a lot of other moms, even if the details are specific to your family. We can’t wait to hear your questions!

Sponsor Spotlight: Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls

Rebel Girls is a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. We love the episodes about Ada Lovelace and Junko Tabei. To inspire the Rebel Girl in your life, find Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls on your favorite podcast player.

Sponsor Spotlight: OSEA

OSEA Malibu is the original plant-based, results-driven skincare line. OSEA puts your health and the health of our planet first with potent skin and bodycare solutions that are pure, safe and effective. Go to oseamalibu.com/themomhour for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code MOM at skylightframe.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Yippee

Yippee is a new streaming service for kids ages 2-10, and is giving parents options for screen time that they can feel good about. They have animated shows, live action shows, and you can stream on a tablet or on your streaming TV device. For 25% percent off your first three months, sign up at Yippee.tv and use promo code MOMHOUR25

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 254:

Meagan’s Pork & Sweet Potato Hash

Check out our other episodes on the topic of feeding a family

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Tackling digital clutter means working toward a system where there’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place—if that sounds daunting, we get it! Our desktops get messy, too. Join Meagan and Sarah for the final episode in our special series on digital spring cleaning as we talk about file storage, folder systems, that pesky-but-essential “cloud,” and more.

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s week we’re busy spring cleaning…our digital space! In Part 2 of this special series, Meagan and Sarah discuss the state of our email inboxes. From whether we aim for “inbox zero” to how we find that email we know is in here somewhere, this is both a realistic and an aspirational look at managing information that comes at us via email.

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With lots of time spent at home these days, we’re motivated to do a little spring cleaning…and not only in our physical space. Join us for a special 3-part series this week, all about getting a better handle on our digital clutter. In Part 1, Meagan and Sarah tackle digital photos—from how we organize and back up the thousands on our phones right now, why on earth we end up with so many screen shots, and how we make use of new technology to do cool things with older photos. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Look for Part 2 out tomorrow, and Part 3 on Friday!

About Our Sponsor

PrivacyGuard is a credit monitoring and identity theft protection service where all members get access to secure browser and keyboard technology with the PrivacyGuard digital protection suite. PrivacyGuard offers 3 plans starting at just $9.99 per month, and our listeners can try it for 14 days for just $1. Go to privacyguard.com/today to learn more.

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Google Photos, Photos for iOS, Amazon Photo

We mentioned this More Than Mom: Apps episode where we share our favorite apps and app-organization strategies (or lack thereof) – see below for a photo of Sarah’s iPhone home screen

Chatbooks

Skylight Frame

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It’s been a week of new reality, new schedules, and new opportunities to get to know ourselves as moms. Along with all the stress and changes brought about by current events, we’ve been thrust into a position of radical self-care, of ensuring we’re able to meet the needs of our families while navigating unprecedented times. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful—and even funny!—conversation about the specific things we’re doing to manage our time, energy, and moods at home these days.

This episode was recorded on March 21, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Sponsor Spotlight: Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls

Rebel Girls is a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. We love the episodes about Ada Lovelace and Junko Tabei. To inspire the Rebel Girl in your life, find Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls on your favorite podcast player.

Sponsor Spotlight: DRMTLGY

DRMTLGY focuses in on creating high-end skin care using the purest, safest, most clinically-proven active ingredients available. Mom Hour listeners get access to an exclusive kit, dermatologist recommended and clinically proven to prevent signs of aging. Go to themomhour.com/skincare to check out DRMTLGY’s special offer for our listeners

Sponsor Spotlight: Yippee

Yippee is a new streaming service for kids ages 2-10, and is giving parents options for screen time that they can feel good about. They have animated shows, live action shows, and you can stream on a tablet or on your streaming TV device. For 25% percent off your first three months, sign up at Yippee.tv and use promo code MOMHOUR25

Sponsor Spotlight: Magic Spoon

Magic Spoon is healthy cereal that tastes too good to be true! There are 12g of complete protein and only 3 net carbs per bowl. Grab a variety pack and try it today! Go to magicspoon.com/mom and use code MOM at checkout to get $5 off your order

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 253:

Sarah mentioned our bonus episode Homeschool Moms: “You’ve Got This. Here’s What’s Most Important

Our Facebook group is growing, and full of helpful moms (please answer the questions when you request to join!)

New to the show? Check out our page just for new listeners

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Parents everywhere are now the overseers of their kids’ remote learning–in other words: Apparently we’re all homeschooling now? In this special bonus episode, Sarah chats with two seasoned homeschooling moms about how they manage schedules, what home learning looks like during stressful seasons, when to add more structure and when to back off, and more. This is the episode you need to approach home learning calmly, without putting pressure on yourself, and even with an attitude of fun. Enjoy!

This episode was recorded on March 18, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Links Sarah mentioned:

Sarah’s essay Parents: Let’s not making temporary homeschooling a competitive sport.

Our listener Facebook group

Our page just for new listeners

Links Amy mentioned:

Humility & Doxology, Amy’s blog

Follow @humilityanddoxology on Instagram

A Year of Memory Work, the poetry memorization project Amy documented on her blog

Sarah mentioned this book: Poems To Learn By Heart

Sarah also mentioned this book: The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction, by Meghan Cox Gurdon

Links Joy mentioned:

Joy’s Nature Study Hacking resources

Joy uses the iNaturalist app (Apple | Google Play) and Sarah’s family loves Seek, made by the same company (Apple | Google Play)

Joy’s YouTube channel

Follow @joycherrick on Instagram

Arabian Nights

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Activities and products to keep kids busy? Got ’em. Some tips for setting the tone in your home during a stuck-inside season? Check. Updates on how COVID-19 has affected our communities in Southwest Michigan and Southern California? Yep (as of recording date, 3/13). We’re coming to you from a new reality this week, and we hope you’ll join us for some thoughtful discussion and helpful tips for managing time at home with kids.

This episode was recorded on March 13, 2020.

A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.

Sponsor Spotlight: Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls

Rebel Girls is a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. We love the episodes about Ada Lovelace and Junko Tabei. To inspire the Rebel Girl in your life, find Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls on your favorite podcast player.

Sponsor Spotlight: Ritual

Ritual is the obsessively-researched vitamin for women. From D3 to Omega 3, Ritual’s Essential for Women helps fill gaps in a woman’s diet. A subscription is easy to start, and, it’s easy to snooze. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month – no strings attached. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/THEMOMHOUR

How To Leave A Review in Apple Podcasts

Here’s how. Thanks, friends!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 252:

Our Facebook group is growing, and full of helpful moms (please answer the questions when you request to join!)

Some products we mentioned for when we are stuck inside

Melissa & Doug Puffy Sticker Activity Books (affiliate link)

Advent Calendars

Big brick cardboard blocks (affiliate link)

Kinetic Sand (affiliate link)

PaperToy (affiliate link)

Make sure you are following us on Instagram and Facebook and look for some surprises this week as we celebrate our 5 year anniversary!

Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole family

Join our Facebook group for listeners, The Mom Hour Listeners Community (be sure to answer the questions to be approved!)

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Do you naturally match up with friends who share your individual quirks and preferences, or are your relationships more a case of opposites attract? In our years-long working relationship and close (but long-distance) friendship, we’ve got a little bit of both going on. Get to know Meagan, Sarah, and our partnership a little better in this fun More Than Mom episodes all about the little and not-so-little ways that we’re similar and different. Join us!

Note: We know that COVID-19 is top-of-mind for everyone. Tuesday’s episode will focus on how to cope with stuck-inside days at home, and address the latest developments more directly. Today, enjoy a little escape with some fun and fluff.

Sponsor Spotlight: OSEA

OSEA Malibu is the original plant-based, results-driven skincare line. OSEA puts your health and the health of our planet first with potent skin and bodycare solutions that are pure, safe and effective. Go to oseamalibu.com/themomhour for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Magic Spoon

Magic Spoon is healthy cereal that tastes too good to be true! There are 12g of complete protein and only 3 net carbs per bowl. Grab a variety pack and try it today! Go to magicspoon.com/mom and use code MOM at checkout to get $5 off your order

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Download A Podcast Club Host Kit!

You love listening to The Mom Hour – and you love your friends. Now we’re giving you a way to bring the two together by hosting a Podcast Club evening in your home. We’ll provide everything you need to make it a special night; you just invite your friends, and enjoy!

Get My Host Download Kit

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Things We’ve Changed Our Minds About (a recent More Than Mom episode where Meagan may have admitted to once liking a pickle)

What We’ve Learned From Each Other (our 200th episode, which pairs nicely with this one)

Love personality tests and Enneagram stuff? Listen to this episode, and then this one. And also this one.

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Is everyone you know planning a family vacation, or does it sometimes just feel that way? In our experience, there are “vacations” that feel like a lot of work, and other ways to spend school holidays that feel more relaxing and don’t break the bank. In today’s episode (Part One of Two in a series all about planning family travel) we’re talking about what goes into planning a family vacation you’ll actually enjoy–from knowing yourself as a mom and being realistic about the ages of your kids, to finding the sweet spot between getting a break from the responsibilities of home and over-extending yourself on the road.

We also have some frank talk about the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and how its arrival on the scene has (or has not) impacted our own travel planning this spring. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: OSEA

OSEA Malibu is the original plant-based, results-driven skincare line. OSEA puts your health and the health of our planet first with potent skin and bodycare solutions that are pure, safe and effective. Go to oseamalibu.com/themomhour for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: PeopleTV Reality Check

People TV’s Reality Check is a streaming recap show that covers the latest news, interviews, and behind the scenes info for all your favorite reality TV shows. Reality Check streams on Twitter, Monday through Thursday at 4:30PM, and you can watch it LIVE and on demand via YouTube and the PeopleTV app. Check it out at peopletv.com/reality-check

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 251:

Sarah likes this NPR comic for helping lead conversations with kids about COVID-19, and a listener suggested this article from PBS

Our Spotify playlists are a fun way to go back in the archives and listen by topic or theme! Our March playlists are Home, Life & Time Management, and For My Friend, About To Be A Mom

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If you’re parenting a child who walks through the world a little–or a lot–differently, or if you’re hoping to raise kids who see differences as opportunities instead of deficits, this conversation is for you. Sarah chats with Debbie Reber, mom of a 15-year-old “differently wired” son and leader of TiLT Parenting, a movement that both celebrates neurodiversity and recognizes the challenges that kids and parents face in navigating a world designed for one type of learner.

Sarah and Debbie discuss why grouping differences like giftedness, anxiety, sensory processing issues, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder all together can give parents a sense of community and advocacy in a way that keeping them separate cannot, and what parents of differently wired kids can do to keep themselves afloat during stressful times. We also take a few questions from our listener community–take a listen!

Sponsor Spotlight: DRMTLGY

DRMTLGY focuses in on creating high-end skin care using the purest, safest, most clinically-proven active ingredients available. Mom Hour listeners get access to an exclusive kit, dermatologist recommended and clinically proven to prevent signs of aging. Go to themomhour.com/skincare to check out DRMTLGY’s special offer for our listeners

Sponsor Spotlight: Kyrgies

Kyrgies sells indoor house shoes made of handcrafted wool felt by artisans, a fabric that is naturally odor resistant, breathable and durable. Kyrgies exists to bring ritual comfort to your home, your office or wherever you may roam. Visit kyrgies.com and use promo code themomhour to get 15% off your order

Sponsor Spotlight: PeopleTV Reality Check

People TV’s Reality Check is a streaming recap show that covers the latest news, interviews, and behind the scenes info for all your favorite reality TV shows. Reality Check streams on Twitter, Monday through Thursday at 4:30PM, and you can watch it LIVE and on demand via YouTube and the PeopleTV app. Check it out at peopletv.com/reality-check

Sponsor Spotlight: Joybird

Joybird’s custom-made and curated furniture is built to meet the demands and unique tastes of customers, providing a high-quality product that will be enjoyed for a lifetime. With Joybird’s endless options to customize, the days of settling for something that isn’t quite “you” are over. For 25% off your first order use code THEMOMHOUR at joybird.com/themomhour

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Find more information about Debbie’s podcast- The TiLT Parenting Podcast, TiLT Education, and other resources on her website TiltParenting.com

Check out Debbie’s book, Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope (Amazon affiliate link)

Debbie mentioned Jessica Lahey’s book The Gift of Failure (Amazon affiliate link)

Debbie talked about the TiLT Together Facebook Group

Follow TiLT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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What’s great about our eight? Getting each of them ALONE once in a while. With big, busy families, we recognizing that connecting with each kid individually is important, but we also firmly believe it doesn’t have to be a fancy structured thing. In this installment in our (very loose) “What’s Great About Our Eight” series, Meagan and Sarah go kid-by-kid and talk about what solo time looks like in the stage they’re in right now, what we do together and whether feels like enough, and how we might be more intentional going forward. These episodes are a fun way to get to know our families and get a peek at what parenting looks like at a bunch of different ages and stages.

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Ashley Schafluetzel is a kindergarten teacher and mom of two who lives outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her daughter, Ella, loves big hair bows and Frozen 2, is a great big sister, and is thriving in first grade. However, Ella's start in life was anything but typical, and through a high-risk pregnancy, premature birth, and extended NICU stay with multiple complications, Ashley and her husband faced challenges that they never expected would come with parenthood.

In this special bonus episode of The Mom Hour, Ashley shares an honest look back at her pregnancy, birth, NICU days, and early motherhood experience. From how she learned to advocate for herself and her baby, to growing into her role as a mom of a child with special needs, Ashley's story is part of an important part conversation that we hope you'll enjoy.

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Flu season 2020 ripped through both our houses recently, and we hear from many of you that this year really is as bad as they say. In this week’s episode Meagan and Sarah talk about the implications of being sick when you’re a mom, the challenges of sick days with little kids vs. older kids, and how we personally handle things like high fevers, consulting professionals, administering home remedies, and more. We’re not medical experts, but we’re definitely moms who have been there.

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Sarah just hit the big 4-0 and we’re here to talk about it. Join us for a fun More Than Mom episode where we dive into how we feel about big birthdays in general, which milestone years from our past have made for big transitions or lasting memories, and what being in our forties means for fun stuff like comfy pants and skincare as well as more grown-uppy stuff like health screenings and eating well. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: March of Dimes

March of Dimes is the leader in the fight for the health of all moms and babies. March of Dimes supports research, leads programs and provides education and advocacy so that every baby can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 80-year legacy of impact and innovation, they empower every mom and every family. For more information, visit marchofdimes.org/themomhour

Download A Podcast Club Host Kit!

You love listening to The Mom Hour – and you love your friends. Now we’re giving you a way to bring the two together by hosting a Podcast Club evening in your home. We’ll provide everything you need to make it a special night; you just invite your friends, and enjoy!

Get My Host Download Kit

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Be sure to check out The Mom Hour Amazon Store, where you will find many of the products we have recommended on the show! (affiliate link)

Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole family

Our Spotify playlists are a fun way to go back in the archives and listen by topic or theme! February’s lists are the Toddler Parent Helpline and Episodes That Feel Like A Hug

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The siblings in Sarah's house are leaning in hard on the bickering right now, so for the latest in our "10 Things We Love About..." series we're celebrating all the GOOD parts about raising siblings. We know it's not all sunshine and roses, but when we choose to focus on the positives, even a really challenging season of parenting can be put back into perspective.

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When your kids are tiny, it might feel like you have lots of time before their access to the internet requires you to have “the tech talk” – a conversation about online safety, citizenship, and digital well being. And if having that talk feels overwhelming to you, you’re not alone! Only 4 in 10 parents feel confident enough to talk to their family about online safety.

But as moms of many kids in different age ranges, we know that just like with other big topics, it’s not one conversation you’ll have with your kids, it’s many small ones over time that will add up to your kids feeling capable and confident using the internet as safely as possible (and feeling comfortable coming to you when they need support).

Join Meagan and Sarah for a little-to-grown rundown of how we talk about things like online online safety, social sharing and communicating responsibly, digital citizenship and more with our kids–plus specific tips for how to make the conversation accessible and fun for you as a parent, not something to stress over.

About Our Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by Google’s Be Internet Awesome program, helping kids be safe, confident explorers of the online world. February 11, 2020 is Safer Internet Day, and Google’s Be Internet Awesome program has made having “the tech talk” easier on families with their tools and resources. To find helpful resources like the Family Guide, explore the 5 pillars of internet awesomeness and play Interland, head to g.co/beinternetawesome.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 247:

Play the interactive learning game Interland at g.co/interland

We would love to hear from you! Email us hello@themomhour.com, and send us your tips for talking to kids about internet safety

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When something makes a huge splash and everyone is talking about it, we sometimes find reason to opt out, stay neutral, or even counter with the unpopular opinion. But not always! Sometimes we’re just excited about the latest hit thing as the rest of y’all. Promise. In today’s full-of-laughs More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share our nominees for pop culture sensations we can get behind, the ones we can’t care about, and a whole bunch in between. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Baked By Melissa

This Valentine’s Day, send your valentine a one-of-a kind, memorable, unexpected gift with Baked By Melissa. Baked by Melissa offers 1 and 2 day shipping nationwide, and the last day for standard shipping for Valentine’s Day delivery is February 12th at 2 pm EST! Go to BakedByMelissa.com today and use promo code themomhour to get 15% off your next order!

Download A Podcast Club Host Kit!

You love listening to The Mom Hour – and you love your friends. Now we’re giving you a way to bring the two together by hosting a Podcast Club evening in your home. We’ll provide everything you need to make it a special night; you just invite your friends, and enjoy!

Get My Host Download Kit

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

We mentioned our episode on the Royal Baby & Celebrity Parenting Culture from May 2019

Head to our Amazon Store to check out some of the things we have mentioned on the show!

Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole family

Our Spotify playlists are a fun way to go back in the archives and listen by topic or theme! February’s lists are the Toddler Parent Helpline and Episodes That Feel Like A Hug

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Making room in your life for romance can be really tricky for moms. We're often busy and focused on other things, and if we're single, maybe we're burned out on the dating game. In today's Voices episode, Meagan talks from her personal experienced as a divorced mom with love coach Casandra Henriquez about how to create a love vision, put yourself in the driver's seat when it comes to choosing a partner, and how to keep love alive in your current relationship. In the second half of the episode, Sarah joins Meagan to share an honest look at what love and dating as a married couple looks like after nearly fifteen years. Join us!

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Life just feels easier when we have the right gizmos, doo-dads, odds, and ends to take care of ourselves and our homes. Could we survive using the same broom for another 10 years. Definitely. But would we benefit from reading a few Amazon reviews and choosing a really great new broom? Also definitely. Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun rundown of products that we’re loving lately the the arenas of home, beauty, life, and style. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: March of Dimes

March of Dimes is the leader in the fight for the health of all moms and babies. March of Dimes supports research, leads programs and provides education and advocacy so that every baby can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 80-year legacy of impact and innovation, they empower every mom and every family. For more information, visit marchofdimes.org/themomhour

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Go to HelloFresh.com/themomhour10 and use code THEMOMHOUR10 during HelloFresh’s New Year’s sale for 10 free meals including free shipping.

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR20 at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 246:

Amazon, Target, and Jane.com products are affiliate links. That means if you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All the products we mention we genuinely use and love–of course!

Meagan is loving

her new broom

universal bath tub stoppers

the high sided cat litter box that has been helping to contain cat litter

a bluetooth adapter for her older car

this folding box spring solved the problem of getting a traditional box spring up her stairs

Tiles are going to help her find her keys!

Sarah is loving

she has found many uses for these magnets

these slippers from J.Crew (h/t Ashlee Gadd for the original rec!)

Small accent furniture on Amazon in general, including this round rug and round mirror she used in her entry way, and the desk, lamp, chair and nightstand she put in Reid’s room

Brow pencil from Sephora

Cuisinart Coffee Center 12-Cup Coffeemaker and Single-Serve Brewer

stuffed animal keeper bag from Jane

You can find many more of our product recommendations in our Amazon Store

Join our Facebook group for listeners, The Mom Hour Listeners Community (be sure to answer the questions to be approved!)

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From August through January, life is action-packed: we’re on the go from back-to-school through the holidays, and we enter the new year with high aspirations. And then, in the face of that long stretch between mid-January and spring break, things get back to normal – really normal. It can be a relief to return to familiar rhythms, but how can we do that without slipping into autopilot and missing out on special moments with our kids?

As the buzz of the new year fades into the comfort—and, sometimes, monotony—of our daily parenting routines without vacations and holidays to break them up, it’s a great opportunity to get intentional about what really matters to us, and to create those small simple moments of connection that are so important for family bonding (even if it means easing up on some of those loftier resolutions). In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah share our own memories and experiences of what can make a long stretch of “real life” both frustrating and special, and offer tips on how moms can connect with their kids and care for themselves by giving themselves permission to embrace the small and simple moments that add up to a meaningful life with kids.

About Our Sponsor

We’ve partnered with the Milk: Love What’s Real campaign on this special episode about celebrating real moments with our kids. When we look back over some of those simple, special moments we’ve shared with our kids, milk has played a big part. From cocoa to cereal, sippy cups to afternoon tea, we love the memories and moments of connection that have been made sweeter by milk.

Learn more about the Milk: Love What’s Real Campaign at milklife.com, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or follow the hashtag #lovewhatsreal on social media.

About Our Guest

Dr. Sheryl Ziegler is a psychologist in private practice, and the author of Mommy Burnout: How to Reclaim Your Life and Raise Healthier Children in the Process. Find her at her website, drsherylziegler.com.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

We mentioned our recent episode about habits

We also mentioned our episode about playing board games with kids

Email us at hello@themomhour.com!

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The preschool and elementary school years provide lots of opportunities to be involved at your kids’ schools…but for many moms the process of finding their place in the school community takes some time. Sarah is deep into the school years now, and Meagan is in her fifteenth consecutive year as an elementary school mom (!!), so we’ve learned from experience how to show up for kids and teachers in a way that suits our skill sets, our personalities, and the season of life we’re in at the moment. In Episode 245 we look at the different approaches we’ve taken, what we’ve discovered about ourselves and our schools, and what’s next for us as school parents in the coming years.

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Weather chat has a reputation for being what you talk about when you have nothing else to say…but we have LOTS to say, and we still love to talk about the weather. Climate and temperature has a big impact on our lives as moms—from the clothes we wear and how we dress our kids, to the activities we can enjoy as a family and even our seasonal moods. This More Than Mom episode isn’t small talk at all—it’s Meagan’s and Sarah’s big thoughts on the weather where we live, all year round, and how it impacts our lives.

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We take the long view when it comes to feeding a family: What kind of food experiences and memories do we want our kids to have? What’s the culture around the dishes we serve and the tone around the table? And what are the core values around food and eating that we strive for in our families? In Episode 244 Meagan and Sarah share some of the “food truths” we aim for in our homes, as well as some specific areas of feeding a family that are working well right now (and a few that could use a 2020 reset).

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Toddlers get a bad rap - out in the world and even here on the podcast, where we’ve occasionally uttered the phrase: “One-year-olds are the worst.” But there’s so much to love about the toddler stage, too—from verbal explosion to hilarious antics. In Episode 243 Meagan and Sarah share stories from our own toddler-parenting years and offer, with the benefit of hindsight, ten things we love about toddlers.

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Overhauls and reinventions sound attractive, but they can be overwhelming and even cause us to crash and burn before we ever see results. We’re both interested in the role small habits and little improvements play in our daily rhythms, productivity, and overall happiness—we’re even reading books on the topic! Join Meagan and Sarah for a totally achievable approach to resetting our good habits and improving the ones that aren’t serving us as we head into the new year. Enjoy!

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Sponsor Spotlight: StitchFix

You’ve probably heard of Stitch Fix, but have you tried it yet? We’re blown away by our first boxes and can’t wait for you to see yours. Stitch Fix sends a box with handpicked items based on your style and preferences, and then you can decide what you’d like to keep and what you want to send back. No subscription required. Get started today at stitchfix.com/themomhour and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!

Download A Podcast Club Host Kit!

You love listening to The Mom Hour – and you love your friends. Now we’re giving you a way to bring the two together by hosting a Podcast Club evening in your home. We’ll provide everything you need to make it a special night; you just invite your friends, and enjoy!

Get My Host Download Kit

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this Episode:

Sarah is reading Atomic Habits by James Clear

Meagan is reading Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood

Sarah is documenting her #40daysto40 over on her Instagram

You can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link until January 15

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A full-time physician with three young kids and a couple of side hustles, Sarah Hart-Unger relies on some time-tested systems to make sure she doesn’t miss a meeting, carves out space for her own creativity, and prioritizes date nights with her partner. She’s here to share tips and ideas with Sarah Powers as they chat all things planners, planning, goal-setting, and to-do list management in this month’s Voices interview episode. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: FabFitFun

FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion and lifestyle products. Boxes retail for $49.99 but always have a value over $200! Use coupon code THEMOMHOUR for $10 off your first box when you order at www.fabfitfun.com.

Download A Podcast Club Host Kit!

You love listening to The Mom Hour – and you love your friends. Now we’re giving you a way to bring the two together by hosting a Podcast Club evening in your home. We’ll provide everything you need to make it a special night; you just invite your friends, and enjoy!

Get My Host Download Kit

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Voices 44:

Sarah Hart-Unger is one of the hosts of the Best of Both Worlds Podcast

The planner Sarah Hart-Unger uses can be purchased straight from Japan, from Jetpens, or on Amazon

Other planners recommended by Sarah are Erin Condren planners, Inkwell Press, Emily Ley Simplified Planner or Day Designer, Agendio, and The Plum Paper Planner

Check out Sarah’s blog, theshubox.com

Sarah mentioned following the Instagram account Plannerisma

Meagan and Sarah were both guests on the Best of Both Worlds Podcast! Listen to Meagan here, and Sarah here

The Mom Hour’s Podcast Club has launched!

You can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link until January 15

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Thoughts on how we handle sick days, encouragement for a mom of two-under-two struggling with accepting help when it’s offered, troubleshooting a six-year-old with a nightwaking habit, and commiserating with parents whose toddler only wants dad–Meagan and Sarah are here with advice, empathy, and our experience as we take on another round of your listener questions. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Ritual

Ritual is the obsessively-researched vitamin for women. From D3 to Omega 3, Ritual’s Essential for Women helps fill gaps in a woman’s diet. A subscription is easy to start, and, it’s easy to snooze. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month – no strings attached. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/THEMOMHOUR

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Go to HelloFresh.com/themomhour10 and use code THEMOMHOUR10 during HelloFresh’s New Year’s sale for 10 free meals including free shipping.

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR20 at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 242:

Sarah talked about the voices episode with Colleen Curtis from The Mom Project on career challenges as moms, Voices 41

You can find all of our listener questions episodes here

Have a question for Meagan and Sarah? Send us your question by email to hello@themomhour.com, or even better we love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!

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We’re not quite ready to get all crazy-intentional about 2020, but we’re also over the holidays and feeling a little reflective. Episode 241 is a casual year-end fireside (we wish!) chat with Meagan and Sarah as we close out another year as moms, family managers, business owners, and humans. Join us!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 241:

The Spotify video that sums up our growth and stats for 2019

Listen to the full archives of The Mom Hour here

Check out our page for new listeners here

Our Podcast Club has launched!

Our Word Of The Year discussion from early 2019

Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole family

Expecting, our pregnancy podcast, launches in 2020

You can sign up now for our course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link

Meagan and Sarah discussed that they love Kyran Pittman’s Instagram (specifically her 50th project) and her book, Planting Dandelions

Meagan wrote about her yoga challenge in this post

Let us know your thoughts on live events with The Mom Hour – email us at hello@themomhour.com

Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

Be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter!

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A mom in the trenches wonders exactly when things will start to feel easier, playdates with school-aged boys whose house rules differ on video games, dealing with disappointment as a mom (especially around built-up big days like holidays), and a request for Sarah to share where she gets her news media and how to consume it without getting anxious. Such great questions sent in by our listeners this week! Join Meagan and Sarah for a pre-holiday helping of nuanced advice, gentle encouragement, and our signature “It’s all gonna be okay”.

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When your baby comes home one with one of those hospital-issued fine-toothed combs, the nurses don’t warn you about awkward baby mullets, the heartache of cutting off toddler curls, or the volume of screeching elicited by soap in the eyes and combing out tangles. They also don’t mention lice, greasy tween hair, bad haircuts, getting slime stuck in long locks. In Episode 239 Meagan and Sarah discuss all things related to kids’ hair, from baby to teen. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

For 100 years, compassionate people like you have been supporting Save The Children’s mission – that the world’s most marginalized and deprived children have a healthy start in life, access to a basic education and protection from harm. Make change for children by donating or giving in a loved one’s name at SaveTheChildren.org/holiday

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Get 9 free meals with Hello Fresh using promo code THEMOMHOUR9 when you sign up at hellofresh.com/themomhour9.

Sponsor Spotlight: Joybird

Joybird’s custom-made and curated furniture is built to meet the demands and unique tastes of customers, providing a high-quality product that will be enjoyed for a lifetime. With Joybird’s endless options to customize, the days of settling for something that isn’t quite “you” are over. For 25% off your first order use code THEMOMHOUR at joybird.com/themomhour

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 239:

Queue it up! Check out Sarah’s new podcast with her daughter, Kidliterate! Each episode they’ll discuss the, books, shows, podcasts, and music that their family enjoys.

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Little kids have big needs when it comes to staying warm, comfortable, and happy in the winter, and even as the season returns again and again, growing kids seem to KEEP NEEDING WINTER STUFF. With Meagan’s decades of experience parenting five kids through Michigan winters plus the latest and greatest tips from our listener Facebook community, we’re rounding up all the footwear, apparel, car and stroller stuff, indoor and outdoor play, and miscellaneous products that will keep your whole family cozy all winter long.

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Would it change your life to write thank you letters to the people who’ve helped you get to where you are? That’s what writer Nancy Davis Kho set out to do when she approached a milestone birthday while navigating a challenging series of family transitions and personal loss. In this month’s Voices interview Meagan chats with Nancy about the science behind gratitude and the connection to happiness, and what the thank-you project taught her. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

For 100 years, compassionate people like you have been supporting Save The Children’s mission – that the world’s most marginalized and deprived children have a healthy start in life, access to a basic education and protection from harm. Make change for children by donating or giving in a loved one’s name at SaveTheChildren.org/holiday

Sponsor Spotlight: Canvas People

Got gorgeous photos taking up space on your phone? Turn a favorite picture into a beautiful piece of art with Canvas People. Get a 11×14 Canvas People print for FREE (you just pay shipping and handling) when you text MOMHOUR to 64-000

Sponsor Spotlight: StitchFix

You’ve probably heard of Stitch Fix, but have you tried it yet? We’re blown away by our first boxes and can’t wait for you to see yours. Stitch Fix sends a box with handpicked items based on your style and preferences, and then you can decide what you’d like to keep and what you want to send back. No subscription required. Get started today at stitchfix.com/themomhour and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code MOM at skylightframe.com.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Voices 43:

Find out more about Nancy’s book The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time

Check out Nancy’s podcast Midlife Mixtape

Find Nancy Davis Kho on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

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Meagan’s last three Christmases have played out like a sad country song (divorce! family emergency! breakup!), and this year she’s going ALL IN on festiveness in an effort to reset the tone for the season and find new ways to enjoy and embrace the holidays as a mom of older kids. There will be Nutcrackers, Messiahs, baking, multiple advent calendars, and even (teen-willing) some ambitious exterior illumination. Sarah’s asking the questions today and Meagan is here for all of us who want to kick off the season with maximum enthusiasm. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code MOM at skylightframe.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Epic! is nurturing a love of reading and learning in millions of children around the world.

Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

For 100 years, compassionate people like you have been supporting Save The Children’s mission – that the world’s most marginalized and deprived children have a healthy start in life, access to a basic education and protection from harm. Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity. Today, for every donation Save the Children receives, a generous donor will match your gift! Make change for children today or any day by giving at SaveTheChildren.org/holiday

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 237:

Meagan talked with her sister about her medical emergency during the holidays in Surviving A Major Health Scare with Kathreen Francis: Voices 25 (from May 2018)

Check out our blog post 6 Easy (We Promise!) Homemade Holiday Gifts You Can Make With Your Kids

All of the advent calendars Meagan purchased for her kids this year can be found in our Amazon Store (affiliate links)

Listen to our two holiday bonus series: Creating Holiday Memories (Noticing, Appreciating and Capturing), and Holiday Shopping (Organizing, Planning & Purchasing, Small Business, Maker & Handmade, and Storing, Wrapping & Opening)

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

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We may seem set in our ways, but sometimes a change in persuasion comes later in motherhood–and life. This More Than Mom episode is all about the things we’ve changed our minds about, from the inconsequential (pickles?) to the highly controversial (decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving!). Join us as we confessing our changes of heart today!

Sponsor Spotlight: Magic Spoon

Magic Spoon is healthy cereal that tastes too good to be true! There are 12g of complete protein and only 3 net carbs per bowl. Grab a variety pack and try it today! Go to magicspoon.com/mom and use code MOM at checkout to get free shipping

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code MOM at skylightframe.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Pill Club

Pill Club is a birth control subscription delivered straight to your door. Most prescriptions are free with insurance or medicaid, and Pill Club can be as low as $3.99 per month without insurance .Skip the office visit and the line at the pharmacy and join the club at thepillclub.com/momhour

Sponsor Spotlight: Ora Organic

Ora makes nutritious plant-based products that make people and the planet healthier. Ora Organic was created to replace synthetic supplements with nutrients from organic and sustainable sources. For 30% off your first purchase use code MOMHOUR at ora.organic

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this Episode:

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd

Sarah mentioned our More Than Mom episode all about hair, More Than Mom: Hair Styling & Hair Maintenance

The Teachers Respond To May Madness bonus episode and Elizabeth Chapman (@samandscout) are what made Sarah think differently about school themed dress-up days

Check our our two holiday bonus series: Creating Holiday Memories (Noticing, Appreciating and Capturing), and Holiday Shopping (Organizing, Planning & Purchasing, Small Business, Maker & Handmade, and Storing, Wrapping & Opening)

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Once the gifts have been purchased, what do we actually DO with them? Hide and hope? Box up and ship? Wrap and display? Stack in cardboard boxes until the eleventh hour? Turns out, it’s a little of all of the above in our houses. In the final installment in our Holiday Shopping series, Meagan and Sarah discuss the tricky time between when gifts are procured and when they are opened. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Holiday Shopping. You can listen to Part 1 here and Part 2 here!

Sponsor Spotlight: Privacy Guard

PrivacyGuard is a credit monitoring and identity theft protection service with an award-winning resolution team to help guide you every step of the way if you are affected by identity theft this holiday season. To learn more, check out privacyguard.com.

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We love supporting artists, makers, and small businesses, but when it comes time to actually DO the holiday shopping, this can be easier said than done. In the second installment of our Holiday Shopping series, Meagan and Sarah offer specific sites, marketplaces, and buying tips for those who want to shop small and give handmade this holiday season. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Holiday Shopping. You can listen to Part 1 here, and check back tomorrow for Part 3!

Sponsor Spotlight: Privacy Guard

PrivacyGuard is a credit monitoring and identity theft protection service that offers triple-bureau 24/7 credit monitoring so you can have more peace of mind as you do your holiday shopping and spending. To learn more, check out privacyguard.com.

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Etsy

Minted

Uncommon Goods

Redbubble

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List-making, idea-capturing, online-ordering, OH MY. It’s time to get serious about holiday shopping, and between us we’ve got multiple spreadsheets and very different tactics when it comes to organizing, planning, and buying holiday gifts. In the first part in our Holiday Shopping series, Meagan and Sarah tackle all the prep and that goes into our purchasing this time of year. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Holiday Shopping. Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

Sponsor Spotlight: Privacy Guard

PrivacyGuard is a credit monitoring and identity theft protection service, and when you’re a member you get access to their Digital Protection App, and a Secure Keyboard and Secure Browser, which means you can feel more confident shopping on your device–or multiple devices–this holiday season. To learn more, check out privacyguard.com.

Links we mentioned in this episode:

Sarah’s gift planning spreadsheet

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Grab your favorite beverage and cozy up for a catch-all catch-up with Meagan and Sarah! We talk about the season, the weather, our recent travels, and some fun updates from the business! Then Sarah is joined by our resident Books Talk contributor Katie Addiss to talk about holiday books, what we’ve been reading lately, and how we read while traveling–both to ourselves and to our kids. Happy Thanksgiving week, friends!

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Epic! is nurturing a love of reading and learning in millions of children around the world.

Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Canvas People

Got gorgeous photos taking up space on your phone? Turn a favorite picture into a beautiful piece of art with Canvas People. Get a 11×14 Canvas People print for FREE (you just pay shipping and handling) when you text MOMHOUR to 64-000

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Get 9 free meals with Hello Fresh using promo code THEMOMHOUR9 when you sign up at hellofresh.com/themomhour9.

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 236:

Kidliterate is live! Check out Sarah’s new podcast with her 11-year-old daughter, all about great media picks for the whole family, and THANK YOU for your support, shares, stars, reviews, and kind words.

We talked about our recent hair episode, and Sarah’s discovery of the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush (affiliate link)

Singer-songwriters we hung out with in Nashville that you should check out: K.C. Clifford, Nora Jane Struthers

Podcasters we hung out with in Nashville that you should check out: Pantsuit Politics, ShePodcasts, The Popcast with Knox & Jamie, The Podcasting Party, Asking For A Friend

Mentioned in the Books Talk Segment with Sarah & Katie:

Amazon links are affiliates. Thanks for supporting the show!

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

For Small Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World by Sasha Sagan

Less (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize) by Andrew Sean Greer

Snow (Caldecott Honor Book) by Uri Shulevitz

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht

Norman Rockwell’s Christmas Book by Molly Rockwell

Last year’s blog post roundup of Our Favorite Holiday Picture Books

Magazines from Cricket Media that Katie and Sarah both love: Baby Bug, Lady Bug, ASK (Arts & Sciences for Kids), Cobblestone, Muse

Disney “Me Reader” Electronic Reader 8-Book Library

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We’re doing a deep dive into all things hair and hairstyling in this week’s More Than Mom episode! From how often we wash to whether we heat-style, covering grays, DIY color, cutting bangs, salon visits, favorite products and more, we have thoughts about it all. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Canvas People

Got gorgeous photos taking up space on your phone? Turn a favorite picture into a beautiful piece of art with Canvas People. Get a 11×14 Canvas People print for FREE (you just pay shipping and handling) when you text MOMHOUR to 64-000.

Sponsor Spotlight: UCI’s Division of Continuing Education

Ready to advance your career? UCI’s Division of Continuing Education offers certificate programs and specialized studies programs in everything from business to IT, healthcare, finance, and Law. Classes are offered on campus or online, and registration is open for fall quarter. Visit ce.uci.edu/momhour to learn more and use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 15% off one course.

Sponsor Spotlight: Joybird

Joybird’s custom-made and curated furniture is built to meet the demands and unique tastes of customers, providing a high-quality product that will be enjoyed for a lifetime. With Joybird’s endless options to customize, the days of settling for something that isn’t quite “you” are over. For 25% off your first order use code THEMOMHOUR at joybird.com/themomhour

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Amazon links are affiliates. Thanks for supporting the show in this way!

Meagan uses the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush

Meagan swears by the Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal Biotin Dry Shampoo

We both really like the Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème

Sarah uses the L’ange Hair Aplatir Blush Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron

We both love the Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair

Meagan’s Rose Gold hair dye is the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying + Shine Permanent Hair Color, and her color is the 7RB Dark Rose Blonde

Between hair appointments, Sarah touches up gray roots with the L’Oreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer Spray

A couple of hits from our FabFitFun subscription have been the OUAI Leave In Conditioner and the ORLANO PITA Play Atmos-shield Hair Protectant Treatment Spray

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How can we capture sweet holiday moments even while they’re happening? What’s the balance between being the family documentarian and truly participating in the magic as it unfolds? In the final installment in our special series on Creating Holiday Memories, Meagan and Sarah offer easy ways to preserve those fleeting moments in writing, photography, video, and more–without stressing about perfection or performance. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Creating Holiday Memories. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 from earlier this week, and thanks for listening!

Sponsor Spotlight: Chatbooks

Meagan and Sarah are longtime users of Chatbooks, the app that lets you create a beautiful photo book in minutes. Don’t miss their upcoming holiday sales! Get 20% off photo books from Nov 25th – Dec 4th, and 40% off holiday cards from Nov 25th – Dec 8th. To get started, download the app OR start creating from your laptop at Chatbooks.com. Be sure to mention you heard about Chatbooks on The Mom Hour in the post-purchase survey!

Links we mentioned (or should have):

Download the Chatbooks app

Listen to Part 1 in this series

Listen to Part 2 in this series

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From structured gratitude practices to spontaneous texts, this time of year provides lots of opportunities to appreciate the moments–and the people–in our lives. In this second part in our special series on Creating Holiday Memories, Meagan and Sarah talk about cultivating a habit of gratitude and appreciation–for ourselves as well as with our families. Join us!

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Creating Holiday Memories. Check out Part 1 from yesterday, and come back tomorrow for Part 3!

Sponsor Spotlight: Chatbooks

Meagan and Sarah are longtime users of Chatbooks, the app that lets you create a beautiful photo book in minutes. Don’t miss their upcoming holiday sales! Get 20% off photo books from Nov 25th – Dec 4th, and 40% off holiday cards from Nov 25th – Dec 8th. To get started, download the app OR start creating from your laptop at Chatbooks.com. Be sure to mention you heard about Chatbooks on The Mom Hour in the post-purchase survey!

Links we mentioned (or should have):

Download the Chatbooks app

Listen to Part 1 in this series

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Moms are great at planning the holidays. Check-listing the holidays. Executing the holidays. But for those of us who want to create lasting holiday memories for ourselves and our families, it starts a much simpler place: noticing small moments of connection, beauty, and magic all around us. In this kickoff to our special series on Creating Holiday Memories, Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on the importance of noticing, and how busy moms can incorporate it into their holiday season this year.

This episode is part of our 3-part series on Creating Holiday Memories. Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

About Our Sponsor

Meagan and Sarah are longtime users of Chatbooks, the app that lets you create a beautiful photo book in minutes. Don’t miss their upcoming holiday sales! Get 20% off photo books from Nov 25th – Dec 4th, and 40% off holiday cards from Nov 25th – Dec 8th. To get started, download the app OR start creating from your laptop at Chatbooks.com. Be sure to mention you heard about Chatbooks on The Mom Hour in the post-purchase survey!

Links we mentioned (or should have):

Download the Chatbooks app

Sarah’s essay about noticing holiday decorations with little kids: Comet, The Red-Nosed Minivan

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Feeling distracted, forgetful, or just sorta fuzzy? We’ve been there. Listener Erin asked about “mom brain” and how we’ve handled it over the years, as well as how to keep your adult conversation skills from completely atrophying when you’re in a phase of life that doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for intellectually stimulating discussions. We dive into small talk, how to navigate awkwardness in groups of adults where everyone seems to know each other, and how to nurture interesting conversations in mixed company. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Sponsor Spotlight: Skylight Frames

Skylight is a digital photo frame you can email photos to—anytime, from anywhere. Set it up in under 60 seconds…just plug it in, connect to wifi, and enjoy! Get $10 off your purchase of a Skylight frame when you enter code MOM at skylightframe.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Kindred Bravely

Kindred Bravely is creating maternity and nursing clothes that are beautiful, useful, and comfortable, and building a community of moms who support and encourage each other on the motherhood journey. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 20% off your purchase at kindredbravely.com

Sponsor Spotlight: Magic Spoon

Magic Spoon is healthy cereal that tastes too good to be true! There are 12g of complete protein and only 3 net carbs per bowl. Grab a variety pack and try it today! Go to magicspoon.com/mom and use code MOM at checkout to get free shipping

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 235:

You can always reach us by email at hello@themomhour.com

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Heartburn in pregnancy means babies born with lots of hair; boys are harder when they’re little, girls are harder later on; third babies are super chill: These are just a few myths and supposed truths that beg to be tested by reality. We asked YOU, our listeners, to help us come up with as many mom myths as possible, and in Episode 234 Meagan and Sarah discuss whether they’ve held true for our combined eight kids. It’s a fun one–join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Epic! is nurturing a love of reading and learning in millions of children around the world.

Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: StitchFix

You’ve probably heard of Stitch Fix, but have you tried it yet? We’re blown away by our first boxes and can’t wait for you to see yours. Stitch Fix sends a box with handpicked items based on your style and preferences, and then you can decide what you’d like to keep and what you want to send back. No subscription required. Get started today at stitchfix.com/themomhour and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!

Sponsor Spotlight: UCI’s Division of Continuing Education

Ready to advance your career? UCI’s Division of Continuing Education offers certificate programs and specialized studies programs in everything from business to IT, healthcare, finance, and Law. Classes are offered on campus or online, and registration is open for fall quarter. Visit ce.uci.edu/momhour to learn more and use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 15% off one course.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 234:

The Mom Hour Podcast Club is going to be available in just a few days! Check it out at themomhour.com/club

You can always reach us by email at hello@themomhour.com

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Meagan and Sarah have been lifting weights this fall! After bemoaning our fitness situation back in late summer, we got (sorta) serious about doing trainer-led workouts–and we found a way to do it “together,” remotely! In today’s More Than Mom episode we’re full of updates, from how sore we are to what changes we’ve noticed after 6+ weeks of weight training. We also discuss where we want to go from here with our fitness routine, tips for working with a trainer or accountability group, how we feel about smartphone apps for fitness, and more. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Ora Organic

Ora makes nutritious plant-based products that make people and the planet healthier. Ora Organic was created to replace synthetic supplements with nutrients from organic and sustainable sources. For 30% off your first purchase use code MOMHOUR at ora.organic

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Sponsor Spotlight: FabFitFun

FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion and lifestyle products. Boxes retail for $49.99 but always have a value over $200! Use coupon code THEMOMHOUR for $10 off your first box when you order at www.fabfitfun.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this Episode:

Kansas City, MO area listeners can check out Mark’s new gym Fit Street coming to the Crossroads neighborhood (20th & Washington St) in 2020

Interested in training with Mark through the Train Heroic App? Contact Mark at fit30gym@gmail.com, or email us at hello@themomhour.com

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Taking your child to see a counselor, therapist, or psychologist feels heavy...but it doesn't have to be. As our understanding of childhood mental health expands and the stigma associated with seeking help shrinks, the growth and support opportunities for our kids that exist with the help of a trained professional are worth approaching with curiosity, not fear or sadness. In this month's Voices interview Sarah chats with child psychologist, professor, and therapist in private practice Dr. Erin Lanphier. Dr. Erin explains patiently, and with all the detail Sarah loves, what the process of finding and working with a therapist for your child is like. We also discuss anxiety and childhood fears, how to know whether it's time to seek outside help, and more.

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The road to extracurricular insanity is paved with good intentions...or so the saying goes. Sarah has always resisted the pressure to sign her kids up for multiple sports, clubs, and activities, but somehow Fall 2019 landed the Powers family with a crazy after school schedule. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss how it happened, what it revealed, and how it's all coming to an end this week. Enjoy!

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From gift giving to special meals, family gatherings and classroom celebrations, creating special birthday traditions for your kids is a multi-faceted affair. Even if you’re not into big parties, there is still plenty to think about–and to keep you busy when multiple kids have birthdays in the same season, as is the case for Meagan’s family. Join us for a thoughtful look at the family culture around kids’ birthdays in Episode 232 of The Mom Hour. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Epic! is nurturing a love of reading and learning in millions of children around the world.

Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: InfantSEE

InfantSEE® is a public health initiative from Optometry Cares & The AOA Foundation designed to ensure that eye and vision care become an integral part of infant wellness care. Visit infantsee.org to find a participating optometrist who can provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment to babies between 6 and 12 months of age.

Sponsor Spotlight: Chicco

Chicco has smart products designed to make life simpler. Their car seats and travel systems help babies feel safe, comfortable, and happy, and are designed with parents in mind making getting in and out of the car easier. For 20% off a car seat or travel system use code MOMHOUR at ChiccoUSA.com. Valid until 11/8.

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Get $80 off your first month of Hello Fresh meals with promo code THEMOMHOUR80 when you sign up at hellofresh.com/themomhour80.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 232:

Want to hear more on the topic of kids’ birthdays? Check out Kid Birthdays, Part 1 (The Kids In Your Family (Episode 68 from September 2016), Kid Birthdays, Part 2 (Other People’s Parties) (Episode 69 from September 2016), and Birthday Parties The Easier Way (Episode 155 from May 2018)

Queue It Up! Sarah is a guest on Best of Both Worlds with Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger this week, AND both of us chat with Alana Dawson on The Podcasting Party

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Weirdest thing Meagan and Sarah are afraid of? You'll never guess in a million years (and please tell us if you share our weird fears!). And then there are the more typical things that creep us out, from the minor heebie-jeebies to the big-time stuff that truly terrifies us. Join us for a fun, funny, not-at-all-scary More Than Mom episode all about the things that scare us!

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Roasts, stews, gourd-shaped baked goods, and soups that pair with a storybook read-aloud–we are leaning in hard this fall to cozy seasonal cooking. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss what we’ve been feeding our families lately, what we aspire to make and bake this fall, and how we like to bring the season to our table in both the food and décor departments. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Sponsor Spotlight: La Croix

LaCroix® Sparkling Water was developed to give health-conscious consumers refreshment, flavor, and sparkle with an innocent twist of zero calories, zero sweeteners and zero sodium. You already know that Meagan and Sarah are big fans–join us and the whole LaCroix community on social at @LaCroixWater, and for more information and where to buy, visit LaCroixwater.com

Sponsor Spotlight: Care.com

Whether you need childcare while you’re at work or want to line up a date night sitter, Care.com can help you find sitters and nannies, PLUS housekeepers, dog walkers, senior care, tutors, errand runners and more. Save 30% off a premium membership by visiting care.com/momhour.

Sponsor Spotlight: StitchFix

You’ve probably heard of Stitch Fix, but have you tried it yet? We’re blown away by our first boxes and can’t wait for you to see yours. Stitch Fix sends a box with handpicked items based on your style and preferences, and then you can decide what you’d like to keep and what you want to send back. No subscription required. Get started today at stitchfix.com/themomhour and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 231:

This episode was inspired by Sarah’s recent interview with the hosts of the Didn’t I Just Feed You podcast, Feeding Your Family Without The Guilt, and a recent episode about feeding families on the The Girl Next Door Podcast

Sarah’s favorite chili recipe (originally from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (affiliate link), modified by The Cake Chica here)

Sarah’s butternut squash soup with apple, bacon and sage recipe

Pumpkin Soup, by Helen Thomas (affiliate link)

Queue It Up! Meagan suggested an episode from last year about Halloween Costumes and Halloween Picture Books (Episode 177)

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From cars to houses to groceries to college, there are some functional elements to growing your family that give a lot of couples pause. We’re not here to convince you one way or the other, but we do have experience to share when it comes to going from two kids to three (and then, in Meagan’s case, to four… and five…). We also acknowledge the emotional and psychological implications of parenting a bigger brood, and we’re here to discuss it all in Episode 230. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: La Croix

LaCroix® Sparkling Water was developed to give health-conscious consumers refreshment, flavor, and sparkle with an innocent twist of zero calories, zero sweeteners and zero sodium. You already know that Meagan and Sarah are big fans–join us and the whole LaCroix community on social at @LaCroixWater, and for more information and where to buy, visit LaCroixwater.com

Sponsor Spotlight: Chicco

Chicco has smart products designed to make life simpler. Their car seats and travel systems help babies feel safe, comfortable, and happy, and are designed with parents in mind making getting in and out of the car easier. For 20% off a car seat or travel system use code MOMHOUR at ChiccoUSA.com. Valid until 11/8.

Sponsor Spotlight: UCI’s Division of Continuing Education

Ready to advance your career? UCI’s Division of Continuing Education offers certificate programs and specialized studies programs in everything from business to IT, healthcare, finance, and Law. Classes are offered on campus or online, and registration is open for fall quarter. Visit ce.uci.edu/momhour to learn more and use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 15% off one course.

Sponsor Spotlight: America’s Test Kitchen Kids

The Young Chef’s Club from America’s Test Kitchen Kids is a brand new monthly activity box that gets kids excited about cooking and eating! Each box includes kid-tested, kid-approved recipes that your family can make together, plus hands-on activities, experiments, and fun extras. Get 10% OFF your first subscription box at atkkids.com/themomhour with promo code ATKKIDS10.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 230:

Want more discussion about growing your family? You might like:

Are You Done Having Babies? (Episode 7)

Should I Get Pregnant Again? (Episode 87)

Queue It Up! Sarah suggested Episode 213 from June, Adventure As A Family Value, as well as her recent voices interview Spending Saving, and Living Your Values with Natalie Taylor

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Curious what it’s like to run a business with your good friend? Or how we navigate money conversations, time commitments, and growth tension while mothering a collective eight children? Today’s More Than Mom episode pulls back the curtain on our 4-year business partnership (and 7+ year working relationship) with an honest look at how we keep the love alive and what we’ve learned about partnership through it all. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: Messy

Messy is the all-in-one podcasting solution for businesses, brands, & everyone ready to share their voice. You can record, edit, and publish your show all in one place–this is the start we wish we’d had five years ago! The basic level is FREE, so there’s no reason not to give it a shot. Go to themomhour.com/messy to create a free account and start podcasting today!

Sponsor Spotlight: ModCloth

Get set for Fall at ModCloth! Meagan is eyeing The Print Pick Fit and Flare Dress -so cute! Check it out and while you’re there at modcloth.com use the promo code MODMOM to save 15% off your purchase of $100 or more (including sale items!) through the end of October 2019.

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this Episode:

Check out two similar behind the scenes type episodes, More Than Mom: Behind The Scenes & Business Updates (from August 2018) and Behind The Scenes: How We Make The Podcast (Episode 91 from February 2017)

Sarah referenced the episode Knowing Yourself As A Mom (Episode 203)

Join Meagan and Sarah at the Blissdom Conference in Nashville this November!

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Teaching manners and social graces is about so much more than pleases and thank-yous; it’s years of modeling and coaching with many shades of gray that bring together regional and cultural differences and expectations, and with a line of sight toward courtesy that’s much bigger than any one dinner party or social faux-pas. Join Meagan and Sarah as we confess the manners our kids are still struggling with, celebrate the areas where things are working well in our families, and take a big picture look at raising courteous humans.

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Epic! is nurturing a love of reading and learning in millions of children around the world.

Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: La Croix

LaCroix® Sparkling Water was developed to give health-conscious consumers refreshment, flavor, and sparkle with an innocent twist of zero calories, zero sweeteners and zero sodium. You already know that Meagan and Sarah are big fans–join us and the whole LaCroix community on social at @LaCroixWater, and for more information and where to buy, visit LaCroixwater.com

Sponsor Spotlight: FabFitFun

FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion and lifestyle products. Boxes retail for $49.99 but always have a value over $200, and the Fall box is still available! Use coupon code THEMOMHOUR for $10 off your first box when you order at www.fabfitfun.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: America’s Test Kitchen Kids

The Young Chef’s Club from America’s Test Kitchen Kids is a brand new monthly activity box that gets kids excited about cooking and eating! Each box includes kid-tested, kid-approved recipes that your family can make together, plus hands-on activities, experiments, and fun extras. Get 10% OFF your first subscription box at atkkids.com/themomhour with promo code ATKKIDS10.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 229:

Looking for more on manners? Queue up out our episode about Teaching Manners to Kids. Episode 5 from June 2015

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Navigating traditional employment while mothering small children brings up so many questions--from negotiating flexible schedules to getting hired while pregnant, promotion challenges and where to pump. In this month's Voices interview Meagan aims to answer the most common questions in a conversation with Colleen Curtis, head of community at The Mom Project, an organization dedicated to building better workplace environments for moms, and helping mothers remain active in the workplace, while acknowledging our need for flexibility and respect in their role as a mom, particularly in the early years of parenting.

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Do we set family rules that apply to everyone, or adjust our expectations for individual kids' and their different strengths, struggles, and personalities? Yes. Both. And it's complicated. We loved answering listener Hannah's thoughtful question about parenting "fair" versus parenting to each kid's individual needs, with Sarah discussing how it works with younger families and Meagan shining the light on how things look with teens and young adults. It's a great conversation and we hope you'll join us!

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Mom-friends are a true gift--but they're just one type of female friendship we've benefitted from over the years. Today we're talking about building relationships with women we admire - mentors, colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs, and just generally awesome ladies. From where we find them and how we initiate a first friend-date to what kinds of friendships we like to have in our professional circles, we're unpacking all the benefits to surrounding yourself with women you admire. PLUS Katie Addiss joins Sarah for another Books Talk segment, where you'll hear our list of picture books we're never giving away - these are the keepers on our shelves that have been loved for years, and for good reason.

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With kids back in school, we’re looking at taking care of our bodies through regular exercise. Meagan’s already established a new early morning workout routine with some accountability buddies, and Sarah’s ready to start. We talk about what’s worked in the past when committing to a new fitness routine, what obstacles we have to look out for, and how the reasons behind our desire to work out regularly has changed as we’ve gotten older. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: UCI’s Division of Continuing Education

Ready to advance your career? UCI’s Division of Continuing Education offers certificate programs and specialized studies programs in everything from business to IT, healthcare, finance, and Law. Classes are offered on campus or online, and registration is open for fall quarter. Visit ce.uci.edu/momhour to learn more and use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 15% off one course.

Sponsor Spotlight: StitchFix

You’ve probably heard of Stitch Fix, but have you tried it yet? We’re blown away by our first boxes and can’t wait for you to see yours. Stitch Fix sends a box with handpicked items based on your style and preferences, and then you can decide what you’d like to keep and what you want to send back. No subscription required. Get started today at stitchfix.com/themomhour and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Aaptiv is an audio-based training app with all kinds of workouts that we’ve both enjoyed in the past

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Time-strapped, mom? You’re not alone. This week Meagan and Sarah look at time management through two different lenses: first, how to find pockets of time in your existing schedule to make small but meaningful improvements to your overall productivity, AND second, how to carve out larger blocks of time for big changes and important priorities, even during busy seasons of life. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. STEAM learning and Common Core-aligned content are perfect for back to school! Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: America’s Test Kitchen Kids

The Young Chef’s Club from America’s Test Kitchen Kids is a brand new monthly activity box that gets kids excited about cooking and eating! Each box includes kid-tested, kid-approved recipes that your family can make together, plus hands-on activities, experiments, and fun extras. Get 10% OFF your first subscription box at atkkids.com/themomhour with promo code ATKKIDS10.

Sponsor Spotlight: Pill Club

Pill Club is a birth control subscription delivered straight to your door. Most prescriptions are free with insurance or medicaid, and Pill Club can be as low as $3.99 per month without insurance .Skip the office visit and the line at the pharmacy and join the club at thepillclub.com/momhour

Partner Offer: Jane

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Wide Leg Button Fly Denim jeans and London Flats that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–-and thanks for helping support the show!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 226:

Meagan talked about Steven Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (affiliate link)

Queue It Up!

Looking for more episodes? Check out our two-part series about Sitters & Caregivers. Part 1 is about finding them, and Part 2 is about the relationship once you have them. Episodes 119 and 120 from September of 2017.

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Fall means football, whether you care a little bit, a ton, or not at all. This inspired us to talk about the way sports fandom relates to family culture in a broader way–from bonding across generations over a favorite team, to navigating marital stress when one partner prioritizes game day over family time. We also look at the positive lessons (and potentially troublesome ones) that kids can learn from watching televised sports, and how even fair-weather fans can find teachable moments in sports culture. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Force of Nature

Force of Nature helps you create a safe, nontoxic, and effective cleaning solution at home using their unique technology that turns tap water, plus a capsule of salt, water, and vinegar into a cleaner, deodorizer and disinfectant as effective as bleach. Use code THEMOMHOUR for 40% off & free shipping on the starter kit when you visit forceofnatureclean.com/themomhour.

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. STEAM learning and Common Core-aligned content are perfect for back to school! Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Sponsor Spotlight: America’s Test Kitchen Kids

The Young Chef’s Club from America’s Test Kitchen Kids is a brand new monthly activity box that gets kids excited about cooking and eating! Each box includes kid-tested, kid-approved recipes that your family can make together, plus hands-on activities, experiments, and fun extras. Get 10% OFF your first subscription box at atkkids.com/themomhour with promo code ATKKIDS10.

Sponsor Spotlight: Lovevery

Lovevery makes perfect play essentials designed by experts, for months 0 to 24. Lovevery products are distilled to their simplest, purest purpose: to be exactly what children need at each stage. Get $15 off new Play Kit subscriptions when you visit lovevery.com/mom and use code MOM at checkout.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 225:

Queue It Up!

Featured podcast we think is worth checking out:

Kristen Howerton is a writer, psychotherapist, and blogger behind Rage Against The Minivan. On her weekly podcast Selfie, Kristen is joined by co-hosts and interview guests as they tackle the tricky and often elusive aspects of caring for ourselves. Find Selfie wherever you listen to podcasts or at selfiepodcast.com.

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Recently both Meagan and Sarah took trips where they spent significant time alone--like, alone-alone, not "5 minutes in the bathroom with a kid outside the door" alone. This got us thinking about alone-ness in motherhood: the quest to get some, how we feel about it when we do get it, and what types of activities we prefer to do alone vs. with others. This conversation also leads us into topics like anxiety, fear, loneliness, extroversion/introversion, and more.

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From picky eaters to snacking tweens, independent lunch-packers to dinner woes, this month’s Voices interview episode is packed with tips for feeding your family nutritious meals without the guilt. Hosts of the popular podcast Didn’t I Just Feed You? Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn join Sarah to talk about their measured, nonjudgmental, and totally do-able approaches to family meals. This is a can’t-miss episode!

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A listener wonders if she's raising a mini-hoarder and we talk about kids who have a hard time parting with their stuff; a mom of elementary-aged kids asks us to talk about after-school grumpiness; a new mom of twins helps us reminisce about infant nap schedules; and a longtime listener asks about mass violence in the media and how we talk to our kids about it. It's another episode inspired by your parenting challenges, and we've got stuff to say--join us!

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Preschoolers and violent pretend play, navigating changing relationships with grown children, advice for a mom whose 15-month-old is starting a preschool program, and thoughts on talking to our kids about inclusiveness and representation: We're taking your questions and offering our advice in this week's episode.

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It happens every year: Meagan and Sarah get to the end of summer and just feel the need to take a pause and check in. Today's More Than Mom episode gives us that space to catch up about our summer travels, share some highlights (and also commiserate about end-of-summer woes), and reflect on the last couple months. We also respond to a listener suggestion to discuss procrastination and how it affects our work lives, personal lives, and kids' lives.

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That feeling when summer has all but killed your morning mojo and you're BEGGING for a fresh start? Yep, we're there. Sarah's kids are newly back in school and Meagan's are gearing up, so this episode is all about resetting our mornings. We talk about what has worked in the past, what needs a reset this year or will be changing completely, and offer our best tips for getting out the door on time, feeding yourself and your kids, and how to fit exercise in with it all. (Kidding. We haven't figured that part out yet, but we have much to say about the challenge!)

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Encouraging literacy and reading aloud to kids is something we all know we “should” do, and most of us do our best. But depending on your stage of motherhood and the age of your kids, this is easier said than done. In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer specific been-there-done-that tips for incorporating reading and literacy into home life for moms of kids at specific ages, including addressing specific challenges that come up during motherhood's many seasons.

We talk about making time for reading when you have a new baby and a toddler, dealing with little kids who don't like to sit still for a story, tips for the managing bedtime reading with kids of different ages, encouraging reluctant readers, keeping up with voracious readers' book consumption, and how family culture around literacy changes as kids grow up.

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Sarah has a new middle schooler and needs all the tips, which Meagan is happy to share. And many of you are launching new kinders or early elementary kids this year, something the two of us have done a combined eight times (!!). In Episode 221 Sarah leads a pep talk with tips for parents with kids starting elementary school and Meagan takes a turn with advice about middle and high school.

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Do you remember the libraries of your past? We do. In fact, we have enough to say about the transformative power of libraries to fill an entire More Than Mom episode! From our earliest library memories (grouchy Mrs. Young!), to junior high school library adventures (that book was NOT appropriate for 11-year-old Meagan), to an accidental nap in dreary old England, we look back at our lives through the stacks.

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Donating used items, keeping track of library books, getting kids to put their own clean clothes away, and staying on top of the monthly budget: These are a few of the home management / life / adulting systems that are working well in our homes right now. In this episode we talk about what's working and why, how these systems necessarily change (and how nothing works well forever), and which areas of our home lives due for a system overhaul.

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Imagine you're a mom of two, successful entrepreneur, and self-confessed Type A personality...and then you find out that you have a chronic condition that will cause you to be in pain and sap your energy--daily--possibly for the rest of your life. How would you react? What would you let go of? And how would you re-adjust expectations of yourself and the world around you in order to continue to thrive in your new reality? That's the journey that today's guest, Amy Clark, faced. The founder of MomAdvice.com, Amy is a 16-year veteran of digital publishing, and for years really seemed to Do All The Things. Two and a half years ago, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a chronic condition that affects the connective tissue in her body, and everything changed. In this inspiring episode Amy shares how she's dealt with her diagnosis and her "new normal" and how her condition has forced her to let go of things that don't really matter and instead focus on her priorities - which include being a "good mom" in a totally different way than she might have once thought.

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The fear of missing out is real, and it preys on new moms in particular. Whether your FOMO flares up when you see other moms’ lives play out on Instagram, or you feel it most when it seems like everyone else’s kid is on a path to greatness, we can relate (and we’ve been there). In this episode, Meagan and Sarah look at the types of FOMO that come with motherhood, how we’ve personally experienced them, and how we’ve learned to manage the fear of missing out. Join us!

This episode is part of a collaboration with Coffee + Crumbs. Be sure to listen to their episode on the same topic here.

Welcome, Coffee + Crumbs Listeners!

If you’re here for the first time after listening to the Coffee + Crumbs podcast take on How We Do: Motherhood + FOMO this week, welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.

Check out this page just for new listeners

This is a recent episode we’re particularly proud of

One of our most popular episodes is the one where we talk about #MomFails

Sarah was a guest on C+C back in 2017

Former C+C co-host Lesley Miller was a guest on our show in 2018

Sponsor Spotlight: Unspoken Stories

Mom, actress and advocate Tatyana Ali hosts Unspoken Stories, a new podcast from March of Dimes featuring real stories from the joys of parenthood to what happens when things don’t go according to plan. Listen and subscribe free wherever you get your podcasts, or at unspokenstories.org

Partner Offer: Jane

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Strappy Criss-Cross Flip Flops that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–and thanks for helping support the show!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lucky & Me

Lucky & Me is a comfort-first apparel brand specializing in high-quality underwear and basics for girls and boys. They craft fun and functional clothing that your kids will want to wear every day. Get 25% off your order when you use promo code MOMHOUR25 at luckyandme.com

Sponsor Spotlight: Teenology

Teenology hair and body care help prevent breakouts caused by parabens in traditional products. With fun scents, eye-catching design, and unique formula, Teenology was a hit with the pre-teens and teens in our houses. For 15% off your entire order go to teenshampoo.com/themomhour

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 219:

Meagan mentioned our episode on personality types as a mom

New listeners to the podcast can start here

Find The Mom Hour on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

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Remember Sliding Doors? Today's episode asks the question: "Where would we be if...". Meagan and Sarah talk about the points in our lives where different decisions might have led us down dramatically different paths, and imagine what life would be like in these hypothetical alternate realities.

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Concerns over safety and privacy are one thing (and worth discussing), but what about the broader implications of kids growing up with a digital identity shaped by their parents long before they were old enough to have a say? This week Meagan and Sarah talk about how we make decisions about what to share online (and on the podcast) about our own kids and how things shift as kids get older and technology evolves; we also tackle a few listener questions on the topic of "sharenting" from moms of younger kids.

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On this day in history, where were we? One year Sarah was stuck inside with littles in 115-degree Arizona heat; another year Meagan was directing her kids in a play. One July day many years ago, Meagan’s four boys all fit on the same park swing; on another, more recent one Sarah sent a nervous kindergartener off to a full day of summer camp.

Looking back at photos from the past, we reflect on the phases of motherhood we’ve survived through a series of ordinary July days. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Unspoken Stories

Mom, actress and advocate Tatyana Ali hosts Unspoken Stories, a new podcast from March of Dimes featuring real stories from the joys of parenthood to what happens when things don’t go according to plan. Listen and subscribe free wherever you get your podcasts, or at unspokenstories.org

Sponsor Spotlight: UCI’s Division of Continuing Education

Ready to advance your career? UCI’s Division of Continuing Education offers certificate programs and specialized studies programs in everything from business to IT, healthcare, finance, and Law. Classes are offered on campus or online, and registration is open for fall quarter. Visit ce.uci.edu/momhour to learn more and use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 15% off one course.

Exceptions apply; see website for details.

Sponsor Spotlight: Teenology

Teenology hair and body care help prevent breakouts caused by parabens in traditional products. With fun scents, eye-catching design, and unique formula, Teenology was a hit with the pre-teens and teens in our houses. For 15% off your entire order go to teenshampoo.com/themomhour

Partner Offer: Jane

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like these Strappy Criss-Cross Flip Flops that Sarah LOVES) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–and thanks for helping support the show!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 217:

See all the photos we discussed in today’s episode on our Instagram page

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Today is pure fun–a game of Would You Rather…?, in which Meagan and Sarah challenge each other with choices between wildly impossible scenarios. Which one of us would rather have a permanent three-year-old and which would rather have a permanent 18-month old? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Sponsor Spotlight: ModCloth

Get set for spring at ModCloth! Sarah just ordered the Belief in Buttons Knit Jumpsuit–so cute! Check it out and while you’re there at modcloth.com use the promo code MODMOM to save 15% off your purchase of $100 or more (including sale items!).

Sponsor Spotlight: Native

Native makes safe, effective deodorant made with clean ingredients you’ll recognize, like tapioca starch, shea butter and coconut oil–and without the ingredients you don’t want. To save 20% off your first purchase, visit nativedeodorant.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout.

Partner Offer: Sudio

Sudio makes ear buds that are stylish, affordable, and provide incredible sound and extended battery life using the latest Bluetooth technology. Meagan and Sarah have used Sudio ear buds for years, and we’re particularly excited about their new Tolv style. Save 15% on your Sudio purchase with code MOMHOUR and be sure to follow us on Instagram to enter our Sudio giveaway!

Last Chance! Listener Survey Still Open

Your input helps us improve the show. Thanks! http://themomhour.com/survey

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Last summer’s episode where we also played Would You Rather…

Follow us on Instagram @TheMomHour and play along!

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Now that our kids are getting older, we have the opportunity to ooh and ahh over other people's babies, and we're here to talk about it. From how we are with our nieces and nephews to whether holding babies really makes our ovaries twinge, we look at the role of auntie, experienced/helpful friend, and even future grandparent (!!) and how they differ from the way we were with our own babies.

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When starting a family didn’t go as planned and money was tight, singer-songwriter K.C. Clifford felt like she had no choice but to surrender to the devastating possibility that she would never become a mom. Then, just days after finding this acceptance, she got a phone call that changed her life. Join Sarah and K.C. for a real and raw conversation about the heartbreak of infertility, the hope that followed, and the kids who were worth the wait.

You’ll also hear the debut of K.C.’s brand new single “Worth The Wait”, as well as an excerpt from the beautiful “Broken Things” , songs written about her journey to becoming a mom via IUI and IVF.

Sponsor Spotlight: Paint Your Life

At paintyourlife.com, you can have an original painting by a world-class artist done by hand from a photo. 100% Hand-painted portrait paintings from photos in oil, charcoal, pencil, pastel, watercolor or acrylic. For 30% off your painting and FREE shipping, text MOM to 79-79-79.

Take Our Listener Survey!

Click HERE to take our 2019 Listener Survey

Your input helps us improve the show. Thanks! (If you don’t see the button above, try this link: http://themomhour.com/survey.)

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like this Foldable Wide Brim Bow Visor that Sarah has!) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–and thanks for helping support the show!

Partner Offer: $50 Off Registration to Blissdom!

We’re heading to Nashville in November! Join us November 14-16 for Blissdom, one of the premier conferences for lifestyle content creators–that’s all of you writers, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, and social media mamas out there. Register at themomhour.com/blissdom and use promo code BLISS50 to save $50 off your registration.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Voices 38:

Visit www.kcclifford.com for more about K.C. and her music

Find her on Spotify, Instagram, and Facebook

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We’re known by many as fun-haters (see Episode 10 for the backstory!), but does this still hold true four years later? We revisit the fun-list today–everything from pushing kids on the swings, to parades and carnivals, to craft projects–to see whether our opinions have changed.

PLUS Katie Addiss joins Sarah to talk about what we’ve been reading, what makes for a great beach read, and what’s on our book list for this summer. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Hopster

Hopster is a subscription app for kids 2-6 where kids can access high-quality shows, learning games, fun music, and more. Head to hopster.tv, select USE VOUCHER, and enter code themomhour (all lowercase!) to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Sponsor Spotlight: BarkBox

BarkBox delivers natural treats and fun toys to your doorstep every month, keeping your dog entertained and you from forgetting to hit up the pet aisle! Meagan’s Moxie and Sarah’s Xander both loved their BarkBox goodies and we think your pups will too. Get one month FREE when you visit barkbox.com/themomhour and sign up for a 6- or 12-month subscription.

Partner Offer: Jane

Daily Boutique Deals

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like this Foldable Wide Brim Bow Visor that Sarah has!) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–and thanks for helping support the show!

Partner Offer: $50 Off Registration to Blissdom!

We’re heading to Nashville in November! Join us November 14-16 for Blissdom, one of the premier conferences for lifestyle content creators–that’s all of you writers, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, and social media mamas out there. Register at themomhour.com/blissdom and use promo code BLISS50 to save $50 off your registration.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 215:

This episode is a throwback to one of our earliest and most popular episodes, We Hate Fun

Inspired by the blog post written by Meagan, For The Mom Who Hates The Swings

Get all the book recommendations from Sarah’s Books Talk with Katie here

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We’ve been to the beach and the pool with little kids…and survived! From what to take with you to how to carry it, from how to sit comfortably to the best ways to stay entertained, we’ve got you covered. Episode 214 is full of practical tips and our favorite products for beach days and pool trips with kids. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

Save The Children’s Read A Story, Change Their Story campaign gives moms like us a way to help kids in need. All you have to do is read with your little ones and log your time online, and generous partners will support Save The Children’s education initiatives with books for schools and other resources. Get started at at savethechildren.org/read.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: $10 off a photo book from Chattbooks! Download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get a 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total). Offer ends 6/30/19–hurry!

Sponsor Spotlight: Hello Fresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Get $80 off your first month of Hello Fresh meals with promo code THEMOMHOUR80 when you sign up at hellofresh.com/themomhour80.

Partner Offer: Jane

Jane.com is a boutique daily deals marketplace featuring the latest in women’s fashion trends, home decor, and children’s clothing. With more than 350-500 deals daily, you can score great finds for yourself (like this Foldable Wide Brim Bow Visor that Sarah has!) and your family at fantastic prices. Shop our affiliate link at themomhour.com/jane–and thanks for helping support the show!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 214:

Amazon links are affiliates, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

What To Sit On

Meagan loves this beach chair and beach blanket

Sarah likes this JJ Cole Outdoor Blanket

These Summer and Rose towels from a FabFitFun box Meagan and Sarah got last year

Sarah’s kids all have personalized towels from Pottery Barn Kids (which are also great for pool parties where kids get their towels mixed up!)

What To Put All The Stuff In

Sarah uses this LL Bean Tote for the beach, storage, and weekend trips

Sarah has this mesh tote bag for the beach and pool

Meagan has a bag similar to this market basket

A listener reminded Sarah about her love for these easy-to-pack and fast-drying Nylon rip stop reusable grocery bags

Recommended wagons from our Patreon Community

What To Use for Shade

We hear these portable protection shelters are popular for babies

Sarah uses this Tommy Bahama umbrella

Sportbrella recommended by one of our Patreon community members

A listener suggested this shade shack

How To Stay Entertained

Sarah said this was the best pool purchase ever

Sarah mentioned this ball and catch mitt was a great toy for the pool or beach

Meagan loved having this mommy and me float

For lake life, Meagan’s kids had fun on a floating mat like the The Original Aqua Lily Pad (or this one from Rubber Dockie, which is about half the price)

Sarah saw kids with these zoodle pool noodles

Sarah used a puddle jumper flotation device for her youngest

Other Stuff We Mentioned

Meagan uses this spray sunscreen for herself

Meagan loves to take along this bluetooth speaker

Sarah uses these EasyLunchboxes 3-Compartment Bento ...

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Meagan opens up about dating as a divorced mom after being partnered up for the better part of two decades, and Sarah has many questions. If you’ve ever wondered about dating apps, dating as a single parent, or starting a relationship with someone you’ve already Googled, this More Than Mom episode takes us all behind the scenes. Enjoy!

Sponsor Spotlight: Lionrock Recovery

Lionrock provides online substance abuse counseling, with evidenced-based, accredited outpatient treatment options and videoconference sessions led by licensed counselors. If you or someone you know wants help for a drug or alcohol problem, counselors are standing by to chat, text, or talk whenever you’re ready. Visit lionrockrecovery.com/mom for more.

Partner Offer: $50 Off Registration to Blissdom!

We’re heading to Nashville in November! Join us November 14-16 for Blissdom, one of the premier conferences for lifestyle content creators–that’s all of you writers, podcasters, speakers, entrepreneurs, and social media mamas out there. Register at themomhour.com/blissdom and use promo code BLISS50 to save $50 off your registration.

Sponsor Spotlight: Ana Luisa

Ana Luisa brings exceptional jewelry into the life of every woman, one collection at a time. Check their designs out at www.analuisa.com/themomhour and use promo code THEMOMHOUR10 for $10 off your purchase.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

I Swiped Right For Your Dog: Adventures In Dating Apps (Meagan’s PechaKucha talk from 2017)

Bumble and Tinder

We mentioned Enneagram personality tests, which we’ve discussed recently in Episode 203 and also in Episodes 57 and 58

If you want to take the Enneagram test, we like this free one from eccelecticenergies.com and we prefer the 9 Type Descriptions found at enneagraminstitute.com

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It can be as small as trying a new food or as big as starring in the school play; helping our kids feel the thrill of adventure doesn’t have to mean putting them at risk or forcing an indoor-loving kid outside. In Episode 213 Meagan and Sarah talk about why creating a family culture around adventure is important to us AND tackle some of the obstacles to living a life of adventure when you have small children, including nudging anxious kids out of their shells and getting over our own hangups in the process. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

Save The Children’s Read A Story, Change Their Story campaign gives moms like us a way to help kids in need. All you have to do is read with your little ones and log your time online, and generous partners will support Save The Children’s education initiatives with books for schools and other resources. Get started at at savethechildren.org/read.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: $10 off a photo book from Chattbooks! Download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com and use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get a 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total). Offer ends 6/30/19–hurry!

Sponsor Spotlight: Paint Your Life

At paintyourlife.com, you can have an original painting by a world-class artist done by hand from a photo. 100% Hand-painted portrait paintings from photos in oil, charcoal, pencil, pastel, watercolor or acrylic. For 30% off your painting and FREE shipping, text MOM to 79-79-79.

Take Our Listener Survey!

Click HERE to take our 2019 Listener Survey

Your input helps us improve the show. Thanks! (If you don’t see the button above, try this link: http://themomhour.com/survey.)

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 213:

Listen to our More Than Mom episode on adventure

Meagan mentioned two movies about stories of adventure that are good to watch with kids; Big Fish and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

We mentioned our episodes on helicopter parenting, Episode 194 and Episode 195

Sarah referenced the book The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey (affiliate link)

Queue It Up!

Featured podcast we think is worth checking out:

Spawned with Kristen and Liz of Cool Mom Picks is a fun and hopefully funny podcast about parenting and parenting culture, full of helpful takeaways and mostly non-judgmental advice. Available at CoolMomPicks.com, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts!

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Introducing a new baby to a freshly-minted big sibling can be daunting, and it’s only the beginning of parenting siblings. Join Meagan and Edit Your Life’s Asha Dornfest, who are both now parenting teens and young adults, for a look back at how they managed new baby transitions with older siblings and how sibling relationships continue to evolve in new ways.

This episode is part of a host swap with our friends Asha and Christine of the Edit Your Life podcast. Hear Sarah talk about work-from-home productivity hacks in Episode 167 of Edit Your Life, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: Save The Children

Save The Children’s Read A Story, Change Their Story campaign gives moms like us a way to help kids in need. All you have to do is read with your little ones and log your time online, and generous partners will support Save The Children’s education initiatives with books for schools and other resources. Get started at at savethechildren.org/read.

Sponsor Spotlight: Hopster

Hopster is a subscription app for kids 2-6 where kids can access high-quality shows, learning games, fun music, and more. Head to hopster.tv, select USE VOUCHER, and enter code themomhour (all lowercase!) to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Sponsor Spotlight: Ana Luisa

Ana Luisa brings exceptional jewelry into the life of every woman, one collection at a time. Check their designs out at www.analuisa.com/themomhour and use promo code THEMOMHOUR10 for $10 off your purchase.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 212:

Check out Sarah on Edit Your Life, chatting with Christine Koh about work-from-home productivity

Hear Asha talk with Meagan about parenting older kids in Voices 31

Asha was also a guest on our VERY FIRST Voices episode

Asha referenced two books on parenting siblings, Siblings Without Rivalry, and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, both by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (affiliate links)

Check out Edit Your Life wherever you get your podcasts, or at edityourlifeshow.com. They’re also on Instagram and Facebook

Asha’s website, ashadornfest.com and her book, Parent Hacks

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That product you’ve been searching for to do just that thing you need? We found it. Okay, well, we found a few of them…and we’re still on the hunt for a few more. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share a few “perfect things” and a few more that we’d love to find. Join us!

Sponsor Spotlight: Fuego Box

Fuego Box wants to bring emerging hot sauces that you’ve probably never heard of to your hot sauce shelf. Locally harvested, hand-bottled hot sauces, and unique and delicious flavors that go with just about every kind of food. Get 10% off your order when you visit fuegobox.com/themomhour.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Sponsor Spotlight: ModCloth

Get set for spring at ModCloth! Sarah just ordered the Belief in Buttons Knit Jumpsuit–so cute! Check it out and while you’re there at modcloth.com use the promo code MODMOM to save 15% off your purchase of $100 or more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Harper Wilde

It’s time to start lifting up your ladies with Harper Wilde! Get started today with a FREE at-home try-on, and get a FREE bra wash bag when you order at harperwilde.com/themomhour. Make sure to select THREE bras to try on—and don’t forget to add the wash bag to your cart, too!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

This episode was inspired by an episode on the same topic on The Girl Next Door Podcast, who got the idea from this 2017 episode of Friendlier

Hydro Flask 12oz Coffee Travel Mug (affiliate link)

J. Crew Classic Hair Clip

Native Shoes, specifically the Jefferson style slip on (affiliate link)

Madewell Medium Transport Tote

Meagan’s Kitchenaid Electric Kettle (affiliate link)

KTM Valley Rucksack from EST/WST

Fabletics Devore Seamless Sports Bra

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Take a girl with a great eye for design and an entrepreneurial streak, add a just-out-of-high-school introduction to motherhood, and sprinkle with some good-old Midwestern pluck and determination, and you’ve got a great reinvention story.

Our guest on today’s Voices episode is Emma Hicks, founder of Camp Climb, a gathering for women entrepreneurs and creatives. Emma and Meagan talk about their similar backgrounds (having babies really young and raising a business alongside a family), the unconventional career Emma launched when her kids were small, and how she continues to pivot her career while building a community of creative entrepreneurs.

Sponsor Spotlight: Greenerways Organic

Greenerways Organic produces the best, USDA Certified Organic insect repellents and cleaning products on the market. Made in the U.S., all of the products are essential oil-based, Deet-Free, Lab-Tested, safe for the environment, and very affordable. Head to Amazon.com and search “Greenerways Organic”.

Sponsor Spotlight: Fuego Box

Fuego Box wants to bring emerging hot sauces that you’ve probably never heard of to your hot sauce shelf. Locally harvested, hand-bottled hot sauces, and unique and delicious flavors that go with just about every kind of food. Get 10% off your order when you visit fuegobox.com/themomhour.

Sponsor Spotlight: Original Grain

With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, innovation, and next-level craftsmanship, Original Grain is a world-class creator of watches and accessories, advancing the limits of what wood and steel can achieve. For a limited time you can save 30% off your order at originalgrain.com when you use code MOM at checkout.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Voices 37:

The retreat Emma Hicks founded for female entrepreneurs, Camp Climb

Emma Hicks’ blog, Main + Second

Erin Loechner will be speaking at Camp Climb, hear her interview on Voices 09

Find Emma Hicks on Instagram at @hicks__emma

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Creating family culture around vacations, whether we let our kids skip school for family trips, how to (and whether to) stick to sleep routines on the road, dealing with kid meltdowns while traveling, and budgeting tips for family travel--we're taking your vacation-related listener questions in Episode 211.

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Coping tips for a mom whose husband travels for several weeks at a time, our thoughts on whether traditional preschool is "necessary" when a four-year-old's needs are being met at home, Sarah's detailed response to a listener anticipating a planned Caesarian birth, and encouragement for a mom of three who wonders when her family will all be able to enjoy the same activities together. Join us for a jam-packed Listener Questions episode!

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What makes an experience an adventure, and how has motherhood changed our willingness to be up for it? Are Meagan and Sarah adventure-seekers, adventure-avoiders, or somewhere in the middle? And what types of adventures are our favorites? Join us for a More Than Mom episode all about living a life of adventure...even when (and especially if) you're in the trenches of motherhood.

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Whether you're more structured like Sarah or intuitive like Meagan, your parenting decisions around screen media will likely evolve as kids get older, new tech emerges, and expert recommendations shift again (and again). Here's a look at how our own feelings and approaches to screen time have changed over the years--and how you can lose the guilt and accept the journey for your own family.

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May is so crazy for parents that it has a new internet nickname: MAYcember (like December, without the presents). We covered the parenting side of things in Episode 206 (listen here if you missed it), and in this special bonus episode, we hear from three teachers about what it’s like from their perspective. Take a listen!

Take Our Listener Survey!

Click HERE to take our 2019 Listener Survey

Your input helps us improve the show. Thanks! (If you don’t see the button above, try this link: http://themomhour.com/survey.)

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

Elizabeth’s blog Teaching Sam and Scout

Elizabeth is also a guest in our Voices Episode 2: Inside The Lives of 3 Working Moms

Kelly Hiltz is a guest in Voices Episode 23: Kindergarten Readiness & Parent-Teacher Relationships with Kelly Hiltz

Kelly’s podcast The Chatty Sisters Podcast

Kelly’s blog Ask A Teacher Mom

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Archie is seventh in line to the crown, and we have thoughts about it all: the royals, our cultural obsession with celebrity parents, and how becoming a new mom in the spotlight would be both harder and easier than for the rest of us. Sarah also shares her personal connection to the Duchess of Sussex (true story!), we talk about our celebrity pregnancy buddies, and more. Join us!

Take Our Listener Survey! http://themomhour.com/survey

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at PrepDish.com/themomhour to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Sponsor Spotlight: Epic!

Epic! is a digital library of more than 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, read-to-me books, articles, quizzes and videos for kids up to age 12. Curated collections and best-selling series keep kids engaged and interested. Get 2 FREE MONTHS by using promo code MOMHOUR when you sign up at getepic.com.

Expecting

A New Pregnancy Podcast from The Creators of The Mom Hour

We’re excited to share more soon about Expecting, a new pregnancy podcast launching Labor Day 2019 from Life, Listened. Email us at hello@themomhour.com with “Expecting” in the subject line and let us know why you’re excited to hear it, and we’ll send you a sneak preview when it’s ready.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 208:

Archie, the newest British royal family member, has no title. Here’s why (we think) – LA Times

Jennifer Garner on Instagram

Our episode about postpartum symptoms & surprises

We talked about this adorable photo of the duchess and Archie surrounded by mom and family

More information about moist wound healing

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Do you love giving gifts or sometimes stress over the obligation? Are you more of a spontaneous giver or a planner? And where does Receiving Gifts fall in your Love Languages? Meagan and Sarah discuss our own gift-giving personalities and quirks in this fun More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour. Join us!

Take Our Listener Survey!

Click HERE to take our 2019 Listener Survey

Your input helps us improve the show. Thanks! (If you don’t see the button above, try this link: http://themomhour.com/survey.)

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Sponsor Spotlight: ModCloth

Get set for spring at ModCloth! Sarah just ordered the Belief in Buttons Knit Jumpsuit–so cute! Check it out and while you’re there at modcloth.com use the promo code MODMOM to save 15% off your purchase of $100 or more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Harper Wilde

It’s time to start lifting up your ladies with Harper Wilde! Get started today with a FREE at-home try-on, and get a FREE bra wash bag when you order at harperwilde.com/themomhour. Make sure to select THREE bras to try on—and don’t forget to add the wash bag to your cart, too!

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

We discussed The Five Love Languages

Meagan gave Sarah a gift from Artsy Voice Print

Sarah used Google Voice to collect voicemails and used Audacity to edit them together into an audio gift

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Between us we’ve seen it all: the shy kid, the sensitive empath, the loyal bestie, the social-savvy teen. In Episode 207 Meagan and Sarah look at our combined eight kids through the lens of friendships and social dynamics, unpacking their strengths and struggles and how they’ve changed over time.

Sponsor Spotlight: Motherhood Sessions

In Gimlet Media’s new podcast Motherhood Sessions, renowned reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sacks lets us listen in on conversations that are hard to have outside of a therapist’s office. Subscribe to wherever you listen to podcasts, and find out more at www.gimletmedia.com/motherhood-sessions.

Partner Offer: FREE Photo Book From Chatbooks

We have a gift for YOU: A FREE photo book from Chatbooks–no strings attached! Just download the Chatbooks app or create an account at Chatbooks.com. Use promo code THEMOMHOUR at checkout to get your 30-page soft-cover photo book at no cost (upgrades and shipping may apply; if you decide to make your book longer or add other upgrades, you’ll still get $10 off your total).

Sponsor Spotlight: Hopster

Hopster is a subscription app for kids 2-6 where kids can access high-quality shows, learning games, fun music, and more. Head to hopster.tv, select USE VOUCHER, and enter code themomhour (all lowercase!) to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Shop Our Amazon Store!

Our Amazon store is a handy place to find the books and products we talk about on the show. Check out our Parenting Books section, our Spring Improvements section, and don’t miss our Summer Clothes & Gear section, which we’ll be updating throughout the season. Find our store at Amazon.com/shop/themomhour.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 207:

Kids & Friendships with Eileen Kennedy-Moore (Voices 18)

No More Mean Girls, by Katie Hurley (affiliate link)

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Credit card debt, saving for college, working full-time vs. part-time, and planning for the long term: there are big questions that come up in personal finance, and they manage to overlap and intertwine in ways that can be hard to sort out. That's why it's so helpful to have the counsel of a trusted advisor.

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Brace yourselves, school moms: May is here. In Episode 206 Meagan and Sarah share time-tested tips for surviving the end of school--from volunteering our time without going nuts to keeping track of the crazy calendar. Join us for laughs and commiseration; this is the pep talk you need before the final stretch.

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Meagan recently did a budget overhaul and has some thoughts. From getting really clear about expenses to taking an honest look at emotionally-motivated money decisions from the past, we're getting real about family finances in Episode 205. Join us!

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From dream porches and fantasy backyards to the practical ways we currently enjoy our outdoor spaces, this More Than Mom episode is all about the homes outside our homes. We've got DIY (and hire-it-out) projects this spring, wish lists for updates, and thoughts on overgrown gardens.

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Are you a total nature mama or more of an "indoor cat" (as Sarah calls herself)? Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are big benefits that come with getting kids outdoors as much as possible...and there are also some tricky logistics. And bugs. In Episode 204 Meagan and Sarah discuss the why and the how of getting outside with kids.

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Gimlet Media's new podcast for moms launches today! We're popping into your feed to air a special conversation between Julia, a mom grappling with her identity and family history after having her own kids, and Dr. Alexandra Sacks, a reproductive psychiatrist specializing in women's health and psychiatry.

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Self-discovery doesn't always coincide with becoming a mom, but for many of us the identity shift that begins in new motherhood continues down a path of personal development through personality profiling, self-help books, and other modes of learning. In Episode 203 Meagan and Sarah look at our own interest in personality tests and self-discovery, and how knowing yourself as a mom can make you a more compassionate parent, partner and friend. Join us!

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What makes for a memorable restaurant meal or hotel stay? What’s the secret sauce involved in great hospitality? (Hint: Pricy does not always equal excellence.) In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share our own service industry experience working in restaurants and retail as we discuss great service, poor service, and everything in

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Seeing our kids struggle is HARD–but the long game involves supporting them through mistakes and even failures in the pursuit of raising kids who take (appropriate) risks and can advocate for themselves competently and autonomously. In this month’s Voices interview Meagan chats with teacher, author, and mom Jessica Lahey about the connection between overparenting and academic learning, when the slippery slope of helicopter parenting really begins, and what parents can do at every stage to support kids’ tolerance for mistakes and the discomfort that necessarily accompanies growth and learning.

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Meagan wants to go lilac-hunting and Sarah might try something for Earth Day this year. Of course we're also dyeing eggs, hiding baskets, and sprucing up our homes and gardens for a new season. Join us as we discuss the rituals, routines, and traditions that Spring brings to our homes--plus Katie Addiss joins Sarah to talk Spring and Easter books for kids!

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It's spring, which means we're thinking about summer. Cobbling together childcare as a working mom, giving kids a chance to try new activities without over-scheduling them, and making time to enjoy a simpler schedule in your own backyard--we've got a lot to talk about.

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From microphones to sponsors, babysitters to sound engineers, the way we make The Mom Hour podcast has changed a ton in the last four years and 200+ episodes. In this fun lookback episode we laugh about what we've learned, what has changed, and what has stayed the same. Join us!

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Four years to the day after dropping our very first episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah are here with our 200th show. Join us as we reflect on what we've learned from each other, our guests, and you: our community. We also play voicemails from listeners, team members, and fellow podcasters from around the world. It's a four-year-old birthday party and a bicentennial all rolled into one...join us for the celebration!

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Were you shocked - but, you know, not really all that surprised - to learn about this week's widespread accusations of wealthy parents using cheating, bribing, fraud and other nefarious means to get their kids into elite colleges? In a special "breaking" episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan sits down with Amy Joyce, the On Parenting editor at The Washington Post, to find out more about this case, the high-stress culture many kids are growing up in, and how we parents can resist.

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Helping a little kid deal with big feelings about an out-of-state move, traveling as a nervous flyer, finding your groove as an at-home mom when kids are in school full-time, and getting dad involved when a toddler only wants mama--we're taking more of your parenting challenges and listener questions in this week's episode. Join us!

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Those little squares on our phones are portals to a whole lot of essential--and nonessential--aspects of life. From navigation to shopping, social to fitness, mindless to productive, Meagan and Sarah break down the apps on our phones in today's More Than Mom edition of The Mom Hour. Join us!

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Helping school-age kids start to self-regulate around screens and sweets, navigating an awkward situation with a fellow preschool mom, and organizing the "drop zone" in our homes--we answer these great listener questions in Episode 198. PLUS Alison Thompson joins Sarah to answer more questions from listeners about her transition from one baby to two. We talk sleep, schedules, and getting ready to go back to work.

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As a mom of an only child who came home through adoption to a family already rich with diversity, Karen Walrond has thought a lot about what it means to develop a family culture under your own roof. Combining influences from their countries of origin and cultural backgrounds, she and her husband have intentionally set out to give their daughter an appreciation not only for her own diverse background but also for that of others.

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That “surfboard kid” meme you’ve seen all over the internet? That’s a photo of Meagan and her son Isaac in 2003. We’re popping in with the full backstory on the photo, how the meme took off without our knowledge or Meagan’s permission, and what we’re doing to bring the focus back to the real story.

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Meagan’s a youngest, Sarah’s a firstborn, and between us we have eight kids (not to mention a bunch of grown siblings ourselves). In Episode 197 we share insights into sibling relationships from little to grown, what it’s like raising a kid whose personality is similar to yours, and how our families of origin continue to

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Best purchase we’ve made recently? Product we can’t believe we lived so long without? Splurges that were worth it and cheapos we love? Meagan and Sarah talk STUFF in this fun more than mom — all about the products and purchases that have made our lives better recently. Join us! Sponsor Spotlight: Native Native makes

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Meal plans are one thing; real life is another. Join Meagan and Sarah as we look back at a recent week in our lives, detailing the dinners we planned, the ones that came together as expected, and the curve balls that led to pizza ordered in. We also share cooking tips, modifications for picky eaters,

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From baby safety to impulsive toddlers, school projects to friendship struggles, as moms we're given a ton of opportunities to get up in our kids' business or let them figure it out on their own. This week on the podcast we continue our look at helicopter parenting and the challenge of raising confident, independent kids.

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Two things always fun to reminisce about: former jobs (especially the crazy ones) and style evolutions (our own, and fashion in general). Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour wherein we share weird or embarrassing things we’ve done for money, the fashion decade we’d most like to

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It’s not as simple as “helicopter” vs. “free range”. It never is, right? Most of us want to raise resilient, fulfilled, happy future-adults, but the trajectory from high-needs infant to self-assured teen is really murky. What distinguishes over-involved from just, um, involved? What about the cultural pressure to produce kids with impressive, well-rounded résumés? And

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All moms know that parenting is full of hilarious moments…well, hilarious in the “someday you’ll look back and laugh” kind of way. Tracey Tee and Shayna Ferm – friends, moms, comedians and creators of the Pump & Dump show – have turned those funny (and frustrating) moments into a stage show that invites moms to

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Everybody is getting rid of stuff…and we’re holding on! At least we’d like to. Join Meagan and Sarah as we talk about the stuff of motherhood–the material things that may not spark joy, but do hold meaning and memories. We build imaginary time capsules as we talk through sippy cup lids and old Lansinoh tubes,

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Ever have an inexplicably grumpy day? (Please say yes.) Meagan and Sarah chat all things grumpiness in this More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour. We laugh about our personal grumpiness triggers, how we survive grumpy days as a mom, and even how our personality types play into grumpiness. Join us! Sponsor Spotlight: Picture

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Emotionally volatile, intellectually delightful (for the most part), overflowing bundles of growth and change: Toddlers and teens have a lot in common. Join Sarah and Meagan for a healthy debate about the trials and virtues of both stages, and how as moms we can support kids through their big feelings and changing worlds. It’s a

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We know from research that kids who do chores become more successful adults…but we also know from experience that teaching kids to take on household responsibilities is challenging and often frustrating (and rarely results in less work for mom). In Episode 191 Meagan and Sarah share an honest look at where our combined eight kids

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Pillow quirks, perfect sheets, temperature preferences, and bedside clocks–we have a LOT to say about the role sleep plays in our lives. For this More Than Mom episode we’re not talking about kids’ sleep, we’re talking about our own: how we like it, how to get the best of it, and what happens when we’re

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With New Year energy buzzing, it's easy to get excited about overhauling every area of your life from parenting to home to work and play. Continuing the conversation we started last week about choosing a word for the year, Meagan and Sarah tackle practical ways to keep your intentions, goals, and resolutions top of mind when real life resumes. Whether you resist goal-setting or love it, we're looking at approachable ways to continue that January 1st mojo well into the year.

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Is your toddler ready to begin potty training? What about a preschooler with frequent accidents or a fear of pooping in the toilet? And how long is it normal for kids to be dry during the day and still struggle with staying dry at night? We get so many questions about potty training that we

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Seems like everybody chooses a “word of the year” nowadays, and we’re conflicted. Both Meagan and Sarah can be trend-averse and skeptical of fads…but we’re also all-in on self-reflection and anything that gives moms a chance to prioritize their happiness and fulfillment. So in Episode 189, our first of the new year, we discuss the

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From confessing our #MomFail moments to airing our (literal) dirty laundry, Meagan and Sarah are looking back at the best moments on the podcast from 2018. Join us for a brand new episode and fresh commentary, plus throwback clips from some of our favorite moments. It’s the very last episode of 2018–join us! Patreon Our

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From most embarrassing moments to favorite TV shows to what we learned about ourselves, Meagan and Sarah are taking a (mostly) fun and fluffy look back at 2018 for this More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour. Join us! Patreon Our Patreon community is growing! Become a patron (that’s a fancy way of saying

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On the fence about adding another baby to the family? You are not alone. We hear this a TON from listeners, and it’s a favorite topic among mom friends in the family-growing years. In Episode 187 Meagan and Sarah share our own experiences growing our families (with a special focus on the transition from two

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Gift ideas for a second baby who wants for nothing, managing holiday hosting stress as a mom with a clingy toddler, tips for staying organized during the holidays, and standing your ground when extended family lays on the guilt. We answer these listener questions in this week's holiday bonus episode.

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We love books, and we hope our kids grow up to love them too…but how do we get there? Meagan and Sarah break down the ways we encourage literacy and a love of reading in our homes–without piling on the pressure. We talk about reading aloud, reading for homework, encouraging reluctant readers, and modeling a

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Most families are touched by divorce in some way, and the holidays can bring up all kinds of questions and challenges for single or re-coupled parents, children of divorced parents (including adult children), and blended families. As Meagan enters her third holiday season post-separation, Sarah picks her brain about everything from the practical logistics of sharing the holidays with an ex, to the emotional landscape of the holidays as a divorced mom.

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Buckle up, mamas. We’re getting into the details of air travel AND car trips with babies, toddlers, and little kids. Meagan’s the expert on road trips, and Sarah has flown a ton with tiny kids. If you’ve ever wondered whether to buy an airplane seat for a one-year-old, how to plan stops on an 8-hour

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This year’s December doesn’t have to be like last year. Join Meagan and Sarah as we set intentions for the busy holiday month ahead, everything from little ways to find joy in the messes to bigger stuff about changing traditions. It’s another Holiday Bonus episode of The Mom Hour! Sponsor Spotlight: Canvas People How’s the

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In Episode 184 we talk about the things that have changed since we became moms--from the superficial stuff like trends in baby gear to the more significant ways that the digital age has shaped parenting culture over the years.

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Our kids have made their holiday wish lists, and we’re popping into your podcast feed on Black Friday to chat about them! Join Meagan and Sarah as we review our own kids’ Christmas lists, what we have our eyes on as we kick off holiday shopping season, plus the ways we get around those “ain’t

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Meagan and Sarah both enjoy wine and cocktails, but coincidentally we both scaled back our drinking recently and have observations to share. We’re also wary of the pervasive “mommy needs a drink” trope and the way meme culture in general aims for cheap laughs with potentially harmful side-effects. Today’s episode gets into the gray area

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Heading into a holiday week, Meagan and Sarah are feeling festive and talking about our favorite adult beverages. We also talk about rituals and routines involving our favorite drinks, hangover cures, holiday drinking and more. Join us! Note: We know that alcohol is a tricky topic for a lot of people, and in this episode

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Whether it’s across town for dinner or cross-country for a week, visiting family comes with challenges–especially at the holidays. There are relationship dynamics to consider, plus germs, traditions, sleep schedules, and a lot of public parenting. In Episode 182, Meagan and Sarah sit down for a thoughtful discussion on how to make family visits and

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Cupboards, cabinets, closets, and drawers: Meagan and Sarah are opening up and confessing what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to clutter and our homes. Join us for another fun More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour! Patreon Our Patreon community is thriving! Become a patron (that’s a fancy way of saying you

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Can a wild toddler become mellow teen? A shy preschooler an outgoing tween? Or do our littles’ personalities predict their big kid identities? As usual, we’re saying it’s a little of both, or somewhere in the middle. In this week’s episode Meagan and Sarah break down our combined eight kids and how they were as

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If your kids are little, maybe you’ve wondered what it’s really like to send a child off to college. Or maybe you’ve pondered how your mom-life – and the way you relate to the world – might change as your children grow. In this episode, Meagan and the always warm, wise and wonderful Asha Dornfest

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Hiding under the exam table, screaming and flailing, flat-out refusing to open up for the dentist: Our kids have done it all in the name of avoiding the needle or the checkup (or even a haircut!).In Episode 180 we cover appointments of all kinds and how to survive them when your kids are fearful.

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Pets are fun, but they’re not easy. Meagan and Sarah both love animals, but we also keep it real about the times in our lives when pets have brought more trouble than delight to our busy homes. We also tell hilarious stories about the pets of our childhood and relive a few animal-related traumas. Join

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First babies get all our attention...but they have to endure our most rookie mistakes and newbie neuroses, too. Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun flashback at how we planned for, fed, celebrated, and parented our firstborn kids in contrast to their younger siblings.

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Co-parenting is tough, and we're here to talk about it. This week Meagan and Sarah talk about getting on the same page as your co-parent, how to handle personality differences and baggage from our backgrounds, and why we think kids benefit from different parenting styles (mostly). Plus, Alison Thompson joins Sarah for a fun chat about choosing baby names.

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It’s an all-Broadway edition of More Than Mom! We talk about Meagan’s recent performing stint as Roxie Hart in Chicago!, the stage shows we’ve seen lately or want to see, and respond to listener response to our first installment in this conversation, the More Than Mom episode on Movie Musicals that we did back in

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Halloween costumes come with parenting questions: Will baby keep the hat on? How scary is too scary? Can you figure out how to master that face painting technique your kid is dying for? When and how to veto a costume choice that isn’t your jam? How to help make costume dreams come true without spending

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Twin mom and motivational powerhouse Jenny Schatzle gets vulnerable about her transition to motherhood, her role as a leader and entrepreneur, and the tricky business of staying authentic AND positive online when you're a public persona.

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Parenting a strong-willed kid, handling criticism about your family size or kids' spacing, the first signs of kid crushes and puppy love, and gift ideas for your kids' grandparents. Meagan and Sarah take on these questions and offer our advice in Episode 176.

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Losing your cool and yelling at your kids (how it happens to us ALL, how to prevent it, and how to cope after it happens), dealing with a pinching/biting 19-month-old, and extracting your family from a sticky situation with neighbor friends whose parenting style makes you uncomfortable. These listener questions PLUS a chat with newly-minted mom of two Alison!

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It's officially fall, no matter what kind of whether you're enjoying. Meagan and Sarah chat fall décor, fall wardrobes, experiencing fall in different parts of the country, and more in this More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour. Join us!

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Supporting your child's school experience doesn't have to look like tons of volunteer hours, chaperoning field trips, or organizing classroom parties. It CAN (and we salute those who do it!), but it doesn't have to.

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Why? Because I said so. Has a nice ring to it, right? Even better, though (and more specific): because it's a rule in our house. In Episode 173 Meagan and Sarah are talking about the beauty and hilarity of arbitrary rules, drawing from our own experience and some genius listener suggestions.

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Meagan and Sarah talk about what podcasts WE listen to in this week’s More Than Mom episode! After a dry spell of discovering new audio shows, we each have a few new favorites–and they’re outside of the motherhood/parenting sphere. We’ll tell you what podcasts they are, who we’d recommend listen to them, and where to

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Working moms: are you stressed, anxious, and tired of hearing about this mythical thing called "balance?" You aren't alone, and you've come to the right place.

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Do you have dirty dishes in your sink right now? So do we, but instead of washing them we decided to podcast about it! Join Meagan and Sarah for a look at the products and practices that keep things moving in our kitchens, plus stories of faulty dishwashers, dishes pet peeves, what keeps us company while we do the dishes and more.

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You're standing in the checkout line doing that familiar bounce-bounce-sway motion to soothe a fussy baby when suddenly you realize: you don't HAVE a baby. Ever been there? We're willing to be you have, and we're discussing a bunch more mom-habits that are hard to shake in Episode 171 of The Mom Hour.PLUS pregnant mama Alison Thompson joins Sarah to discuss first versus second pregnancies, staying comfortable in the third trimester, maternity clothes that fit and flatter, and more.

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We all make choices about where and how we spend our money--so what areas of home, life, and style to Meagan and Sarah choose to save on, and which ones are our splurges? We discuss in this More Than Mom episode of The Mom Hour (suggested by listener Rachel!).

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Boxes, bags, and bentos--here we go, friends. We're talking lunch-packing on this week's episode of The Mom Hour. From the gear we love (or like well-enough), to the stuff we pack (no, it's not pretty or perfect), to when and how we get lunches packed (and unpacked...ew), today's episode is FULL of tips and stories to encourage you this school year.

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How do the things get done? Where does the time go? These are the questions we look at in today’s podcast episode. We’ve got tips for making the most of your time and prioritizing well so you feel your most productive (yes, even in those early baby days where it seems like NOTHING gets done).

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By listener-request we’re taking you behind the scenes! We discuss the making of The Mom Hour, our recording quirks, tips for aspiring podcasters, how we work with brands, and more. We also give a little back-story on how the show has grown, how the Life, Listened network started, evolved, and continues to change, and what

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Sarah has one week left of summer and Meagan has a MONTH. We chat about late-summer malaise, seasonal energy slumps in general, how to (or whether to) get back to healthier habits and routines, and what (if anything) we're doing to gear up for the impending school year.

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Happiness in parenting doesn’t mean mean skipping through fields of daisies with a brood of clean, cheerful, never-whining children who eat their veggies and always put their dirty clothes in the hamper. In reality, it’s a much messier–but totally attainable–thing. In this episode of The Mom Hour Voices, Sarah talks with writer KJ Dell’Antonia about

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We’ve yet to meet a mom at any stage of parenthood who didn’t have to deal with laundry–it’s one of the great equalizers of the mothering experience, no? Today on The Mom Hour Meagan and Sarah take you inside their homes and laundry rooms for a look at how we keep up with the piles,

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High school bedrooms, college dorm rooms, first apartments, first homes. Meagan and Sarah describe their home décor style through the years in this More Than Mom episode. Join us! Sponsor Spotlight: Campaign Living Campaign makes sofas, chairs, loveseats, and ottomans that are built to last. Their furniture is made using quality materials, arrives in just a

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The last day of preschool is one thing–poignant, and easy to see coming–but what about the last time your toddler uses your favorite adorable mispronunciation? The last time you step on a LEGO? The last time a kid needs your help in the bath, crawls into your bed in the wee hours, or reaches for

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Navigating decisions as a mom is hard enough; feeling judged, criticized, or shamed for those decisions? That feels like garbage. After years of practice, Meagan and Sarah have words of encouragement for dealing with criticism, including six things to keep in mind when you’re feeling judged by others about your parenting. PLUS Katie Addiss joins

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You’re home alone on a rainy Saturday afternoon and that movie comes on that you just HAVE to watch. What is it? In this More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah confess the books, movies, songs, and TV that maybe don’t get points for artsy intellectualism, but that we just can’t resist. Much pop culture

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Bianca Dottin’s second pregnancy was long-awaited and relatively drama-free. But when baby Tristan arrived at 34 weeks and was admitted to the NICU unable to breathe on his own, it was clear that her life was about to change. In this month’s Voices interview episode, Bianca shares her NICU story with Sarah, including how 6

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Your kid shows an aptitude for something...now what? Meagan and Sarah discuss the sometimes tricky topic of how to nurture our kids' natural abilities without pressuring or pushing. We also talk about when to support kids through an activity they may not be particularly talented at, the importance of dabbling, and when it's OK to let kids quit.

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Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned game of "Would you rather...?"? Join Meagan and Sarah (recording together in person, which is always fun) for a surprisingly revealing exercise in hypothetical thinking.

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Helping a toddler with nighttime fears, the logistics of taking a baby to the beach, the ideal age-spacing between siblings, and helping a two-year-old feel special when a new baby arrives. These are the listener questions we answer in this week's episode of The Mom Hour. Join us!

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Teaching social graces to a shy preschooler, saving money on groceries and household supplies, and helping school-aged kids learn to deal with feelings of frustration. These are three topics brought to us by listeners that Meagan and Sarah tackle on this week’s episode of The Mom Hour.

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You can learn a lot about a person by taking a peek inside their purse. (Also: it’s time we cleaned out our purses!) In this episode of More Than Mom from The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah do a deep dive into their bags, laughing as they go. We also challenge listeners to share the

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No one mom "does it all"--or so we're told. But what exactly DON'T we do? In Episode 161 Meagan and Sarah share our experience finding ways to opt out of the little (and sometimes not-so-little) tasks and obligations that aren't meaningful to us as moms, making room for more of what is. PLUS resident new mom Katie Addiss joins Sarah at the end of the show to talk about a great swimsuit-saving strategy and other tales from the trenches.

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Summer fun isn’t just for kids! Meagan and Sarah chat about their hopes, dreams, and plans for this summer–everything from their favorite indulgent magazines to read to what kind of outdoor adventures their families are ready for. It’s a More Than Mom episode all about SUMMER. Join us! Sponsor Spotlight: FabFitFun FabFitFun is a seasonal

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If you struggle with meal planning or dread the grocery store, you’re not alone. Today we tackle three more challenges to dinner-making success and offer our tips and solutions for overcoming them. This is a follow-up to last week’s episode, so be sure to catch that one as well (though you can listen in any

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“Having help and support is the way nature intended for us to make human beings”. So says journalist and author Kate Rope in her new book all about how moms can take better care of their mental, emotional, and physical selves from pregnancy through parenthood. Kate joins Sarah in Episode 26 in our Voices interview

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No time to cook? Got picky eaters? Hate the “witching hour”? We’re with you. In this episode Meagan and Sarah tackle three common dinner-making obstacles and offer solutions and tips that help us in our own lives and kitchens. We’re not experts; we’re parents who’ve been there, remember? This episode is the third in our

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Warning: this episode may make you want to ignore all responsibilities for an untold number of hours so that you can hole up and watch a movie musical marathon. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Join Meagan and Sarah for a More Than Mom minisode about our favorite movie musicals (and stay tuned for a

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The weather is warming up and everybody’s clothes are too small–time to talk summertime clothes, shoes, and gear for kids! Meagan and Sarah share our go-to tips and favorite brands for keeping kids comfy, cool, and affordably dressed during the summer. Join us! Partner Spotlight: Shoot Along! Are you ready really use your DSLR camera

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We’ve hit a mid-year slump in our fitness mojo, friends. Have you? Meagan and Sarah address where we are with working out, what has worked for us in the past, and discuss strategies for getting back on the wagon this summer. We also talk frankly about WHY working out matters to us (and it may

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We aren't perfect, we're real. It's the last line of our show intro and it's the guiding principle of this episode. Buckle up, guys, as Meagan and Sarah confess some really cringe-worthy mom fails that keep us humble to this day. From a major faux pas at the school Thanksgiving feast to some near-death (or at least near-injury) experiences that still make us shudder, we're serving up a whole lot of vulnerability in Episode 157. Plus Katie Addiss joins Sarah at the end of the podcast with a mom fail of her own plus a struggle, success, and discovery from her life as a mom of two little ones.

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By popular request we’re tackling potty training in Episode 156! But if your kids are well beyond diapers by now, stick around. We extend the conversation to include other bathroom messes and realities that come with raising kids. From privacy to hygiene to showering solo to (gasp!) man-boys who shave, this entire podcast episode takes

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Between Meagan and Sarah we’ve celebrated our kids’ birthdays 95 times. NINETY-FIVE birthdays, guys. We share the lessons we’ve learned in scaling back while still keeping up some special traditions, make a case for opting out of birthday madness when it isn’t your jam, and confess some of our birthday party fails from over the

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Meagan and Sarah recap their week at the Mom 2.0 conference in Pasadena, including that one time they lovingly accosted a breastfeeding mom in an evening gown, that other time Meagan had to be forcibly removed from a Rent The Runway dress, a sweet listener encounter, and more hijinks. (New to The Mom Hour? This

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Meagan sits down with her sister Kathreen to talk openly for the very first time about the major health crisis that rocked their family last December. This special episode in our Voices interview series is full of really practical ways to support families going through a health scare, plus a vulnerable inside look at a

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No one tells you when you become a parent that you’ll spend a significant portion of the rest of your life in conversations about snacks and sweets–but it’s true! Most kids would snack and indulge their sweet-tooths all day long we if we let them, and in this episode of The Mom Hour Meagan and

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Moving, remodeling, and home renovations are never easy, but with kids in the mix the difficulty level goes up a notch…or twelve. Meagan is fresh off a cross-town move and Sarah has had several home improvement challenges in the last year. Join us for tips and tactics to minimize stress when your home in transition.

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The search for the perfect purse (and laptop bag…and evening clutch) continues to elude Meagan and Sarah, but that doesn’t stop us from trying to find it. Join us for as fun More Than Mom minisode where we dig into the details of what makes the perfect bag and what we’re looking for in a

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Part of the fun of having so many kids between us is that we never run out of things to talk about! Join Meagan and Sarah for a quick look at what each of our eight kids is going through these days--this lets cover the phases from preschool through teen in a way that's personal, funny, and encouraging.

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Singer-songwriter and mom of two Sarah Sample joins The Mom Hour co-host Sarah Powers for a chat that feels like two old friends catching up. That’s because Sarah and Sarah ARE two old friends–of 25 years! Musician Sarah talks honestly about creativity in motherhood, being a traveling working mom, and making big career shifts in

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Meagan and Sarah share what they feed their families for breakfast and lunch (and we’re keeping it VERY real here) in Episode 151 of The Mom Hour. We also take a look back and how we survived the breakfast and lunchtime challenges that come with early motherhood. This episode kicks off our new Feeding A

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Beaches or big cities? Rental cars or public transport? Where have we been and where would we love to go? Join Meagan and Sarah for a More Than Mom episode all about TRAVEL! Sponsor Spotlight: FabFitFun FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan and Sarah shared what

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Meagan first shared that her marriage had ended last spring and we've heard from a lot of listeners that you guys would like an update on how things are going as she adjusts to life as a divorced mom. In Episode 150 Sarah checks in with Meagan on everything from how home life and work life have changed, to things like dating, friendships, parenting, health, and self-care--all of which have evolved over the last year and half.

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Setting up toddler playgroups, feeling overwhelmed by housework, and how to handle teachers who don't see your kid the way you do. We got GREAT listener questions for this episode and do our best to answer this week!

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If the mere thought of a tri-fold science project display board makes you want to run for the hills, we're right there with you. But we've also come to accept that as kids move into upper elementary, middle, and high school, school projects and increased homework demands are par for the course. Join Meagan and Sarah for a frank discussion about how we find the balance between supporting the work that comes home from school without hovering or helicoptering. We share successes and failures from our own experience, plus offer ideas for navigating homework parenting without going crazy.

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What constitutes a hobby? Does it have to involve textiles? Does cheese count? Do people really have hobbies outside of singing, dancing, and writing? Meagan and Sarah laugh our way through another more-than-mom chat–all about our hobbies. Enjoy! More-Than-Mom Sponsor: KIND Snacks Our go-to just-for-mom snacks come from KIND, who believes you shouldn’t have to

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Whether you're expecting a new baby or love showering friends with thoughtful baby gifts, this episode is for you. Meagan and Sarah enlist the help of some savvy new moms to get the latest product must-haves, plus rely on our own experience and the benefit of hindsight to dissect what's really essential, what you can probably pass on, and which gifts go the distance.

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Who knew we’d have so much to say about beverages? That’s the fun of our More-Than-Mom series–it’s a deep dive into the super superficial, with bits of nostalgia thrown in for fun. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss memories of our favorite childhood drinks, what kept us going in high school and college, and

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We get a ton of listener questions on the topic of sending kids off to kindergarten--how to know if they're ready, what to do about those tricky summer birthdays in terms of sending a kid or holding him back, and how to prepare kids to be successful as they transition into elementary school. Kindergarten teacher and mom of two Kelly Hiltz brings a calming voice of reason to this often amped-up topic.

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What if "I can't do it all" wasn't a statement of parenting failure and instead an opportunity to expand our kids' horizons and our own support system? What if instead of trying to be all things to each child, we recognized the importance of other role models in our kids' lives. Meagan and Sarah look at these questions in Episode 146 as we discuss the importance of other adults in our kids' lives and how to help kids cultivate these important extra-familial relationships. Plus, Katie Addiss joins Sarah for a struggle, success and discovery at the end of the show.

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Love it or hate it, social media is a part of our lives. Join Meagan and Sarah for a meandering chat about our favorite ways to be social online. This episode is part of our More Than Mom series, where we set aside the practical parenting tips (which you can still find in each new

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Between sick days and snow days, new babies and school holidays, we know firsthand how hard it is to be stuck inside with kids for what feels like eternity. In Episode 145 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer tips for stocking your home so that when that stomach flupocalypse does strike, you’re prepared

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Can you remember the skincare products and fragrance you swore by in middle school? How do you feel about clear mascara or yellow nail polish? Can you sing the Jhirmack shampoo jingle at full voice? (One of us can. Guess who.) Laugh along with Meagan and Sarah in a more-than-mom special episode all about beauty

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Moms need tribes, right? So we’re told. But what if friendships in motherhood are a little more dynamic, evolving, and complicated than just finding the right group and sliding on in. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful discussion about what it really means to “find your tribe” as a mom, PLUS we offer 10

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Tweens are not just overgrown little kids or mini-adolescents. Caught between the two, they really are in phase worthy of its own discussion–and its own podcast episode! Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss what makes 8-12-year-olds unique and how to up our parenting game to meet their needs as they grow. Sponsor Spotlight: KIND

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When Christine Koh started making t-shirts for herself as a creative release and weekend hobby, she had no idea that within a matter of months her designs would be seen on celebrities, in magazines, and as a meaningful part of social good movements around the country. Join Sarah as she chats with Christine (who is

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We’re taking listener questions this week, all around the topics of working outside the home, staying at home full-time, and the tension the often exists no matter where you spend your days. (Spoiler alert: Two moms with totally opposite schedules both wrote in to say that 4:00pm is a totally brutal time of day.) Join

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The picture of fatherhood we see depicted in pop culture is fraught with stereotypes. From the bumbling dad who can’t fasten snaps on a onesie to the overly intense sports dad who pushes his kid on the ball field, the generalizations often don’t represent the truth and in many cases can be harmful to dads’

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Meagan and Sarah are both working more than we have in a long time–and our work schedules have changed recently. In Episode 140 we talk about what’s working (ha!), what isn’t, and how things have evolved since the drop-a-toddler-off-at-daycare years. We also talk about how working moms and stay-at-home moms can support one another, how

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What's the state of our wardrobes? Glad you asked. In Episode 139 Meagan and Sarah go Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-Toes through what's working and what isn't when it comes to style for us lately. Find out what Meagan loves about having longish hair for the first time in a decade, why Sarah continues to struggle with leggings and can never find her socks, and hear our takes on two different popular online bra retailers. Plus Katie Addiss joins Sarah at the end for a fashion-related struggle, discovery, and success.

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What daily habits do happy moms practice? Our answers may surprise you. Join Meagan and Sarah for the second in our two-part series on cultivating happiness during motherhood. Listen to Episode 138 using the player below, and catch up on Part 1 in the series with Episode 137, too! Featured Sponsor: Epic! Epic! is a

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Sarah R. Bagley mothers, writes, podcasts, teaches group fitness, and runs a local women’s entrepreneur group–all while keeping up with the demands and schedules of a toddler, a preschooler, and a first-grader. She’s the first to admit that this hybrid working/momming thing isn’t easy, but her philosophy is all about leaning in to both creative

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What do happy moms do on a regular basis to stave off stress, grumpiness, and dissatisfaction? We know that no mom is happy ALL the time, but in Episode 137 we’re digging deep into five habits of mostly-happy moms. Next week we’ll share five more habits to round out this two-part series. Enjoy! Part 2 of

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Happy New Year, friends! Before we launch headlong into 2018 we’re taking a quick look back at what happened for each of us–and the podcast–in 2017. Looking back at the year behind us is a helpful way to discover what we want to see more (or less) of in the coming year. Join us, and

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A toddler who won’t stay in his room at bedtime, a seven-year-old with a fibbing habit, and the age-old questions of “what do you do with a two-year-old while you put the baby to bed?” and “why do my kids have such a hard time occupying themselves?”. In Episode 135 of The Mom Hour, Sarah and Meagan offer empathy, encouragement, and a few helpful tips for these listener questions.

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We’re answering a TON of your parenting questions in this week’s episode, and it’s all about navigating the holidays. From getting kids to thank grandma appropriately to keeping toddlers on a schedule, we weigh in on the topics you suggested in this Instagram post. Take a listen! Featured Sponsor: Hello Fresh HelloFresh is a meal

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If you’ve enjoyed Katie’s new mom segments over the past year, you’ll love this week’s episode. We listen to Katie highlight one struggle, one success, and one discovery from her life as a mom of two littles, then Meagan and Sarah weigh in with their thoughts PLUS share struggles, successes and discoveries of our own.

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Parent Educator Alexandra Spitz is passionate about helping new moms feel calm and confident in their parenting abilities, and attachment theory is one of the cornerstones of her 10-week newborn class at The New Mom School in Newport Beach, CA. Join Sarah for as she interviews Alex about newborn attachment, what new moms can do

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Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and settle in for an entire episode of The Mom Hour that’s all about slowing down and catching up. We’ve been moving so fast this fall that we wanted to take time to update listeners on what’s been going on with us personally, some fun

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“Entertaining” sounds intimidating, but how about “open your doors and let people in”? Meagan and Sarah want you to feel like opening your home to guests is an opportunity, not a potential Pinterest-fail, and we’re here to offer some tips for scaling back the expectations and making entertaining fun, sane, and satisfying for everyone. Join

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Shopping for babies, toddlers, or preschoolers? Sarah and Katie sit down in a Cyber Monday Gift Guide Special to brainstorm great gift ideas for ages 0-5. We share more than 40 ideas in about that many minutes–come along for the ride! Sponsor Spotlight Telling family stories is a huge part of the culture in both

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Routines help us move through the day as busy moms, so what can we do to instill healthy ones, change up the ones we’ve outgrown, and add meaningful rituals into our family culture? Join Meagan and Sarah as they offer tips for using routines to make your life as a mom easier and more fun–have

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Meagan's divorce has shaken up the family schedule and plans for the holidays, and both she and Sarah are interested in exploring what happens to routines, rituals, and traditions in times of major change. Join us for a look at all this and more in Episode 128 (the first in a two-part series!).

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Are all East Coast parents uptight traditionalists grooming their kids for the Ivy League? Are all West Coast moms drinking kale smoothies while practicing yoga on a paddleboard? Of course not, but in this special episode of The Mom Hour Sarah (of the West Coast) is joined by guest co-host Margaret Ables (a New Yorker)

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Amy Tripple is a Chicago-based photographer who understands that it’s hard to get little ones dressed and out the door on a normal day–let alone for a family photo shoot. In Episode 19 of our Mom Hour Voices series Amy and Sarah talk about how to make the most of professional family photos, what to

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Meagan’s family is full of cousins and Sarah’s more sparsely “cousined”, but we both have a lot to say about the cousins we grew up with as well as the cousins our kids have. Join us as we discuss these unique and meaningful extended family relationships, and how to make the most of them. PLUS,

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Too early to make meaningful progress on holiday to-do lists? Sarah says no, and Meagan is curious but skeptical. Whether you’re a plan-ahead type or not, we’ve got some practical tips for making December less hectic by doing a little planning right now. Join us! (For clarity’s sake, we are Team NO Decorations/Music Until After

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It’s been a rough few weeks and we want to talk about it. Join Meagan and Sarah for an honest discussion about how we manage our media intake when the headlines are heartbreaking, how to identify the feelings that come up when we’re triggered in some way by the news, and how to help when

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When to start giving kids an allowance, paying for chores, getting mentally psyched up for baby #2, and dealing with kids' annoying habits--these are the parenting challenges and motherhood topics we're tackling in the latest Listener Questions episode of The Mom Hour.

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Helping kids navigate friendships and social dynamics is one of the most commonly-requested topics from our listeners. That’s why we’re so thrilled to welcome Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore, an author, psychologist, and expert on children’s friendships, to this special episode of The Mom Hour Voices series. Sarah asks Dr. Eileen about helping kids who feel left

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Closely spaced babies, tips on room-sharing, helping siblings get along, and dealing with super-shy toddlers. These are the topics we cover in this week’s episode–all of which are inspired by listeners’ real lives and kids. Join us as we hear from YOU and then offer our advice (which is as usual, mostly “hang in there…it

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Sarah’s the Type-A, detailed one; Meagan’s the free spirit who’s super laid-back. Right? Or is there more? In Episode 121 we share the ways in which we break type from our typical molds–go figure! we’re not two-dimensional!–and challenge the idea that any one mom is either totally chill or totally stressed. Join us! Featured Sponsor:

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How much do we pay our babysitters? (Yes, we get real about numbers.) Do we expect sitters to do the dishes? (One of us gets super weird about this.) And what's the best way to get the potentially awkward conversations out of the way and start building great relationships with the people caring for your kids? (Early, often, and as clearly as possible.)

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We've learned a lot from our own mistakes over the years about finding, hiring, and building relationships with non-family caregivers. In Episodes 119 and 120 we'll go on a deep dive into this topic, starting with general tips today for finding great sitters and making sure your childcare needs are covered--even if you're the primary parent at home.

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Sarah sits down with fellow writer-turned-podcaster, mom of three, and California girl Lesley Miller in this month’s episode in our Mom Hour Voices series. Join them as they talk about their semi-parallel lives, the process of adjusting to life as a mom of school-aged kids, being a sorta-working/sorta-staying-home mom, and more. Sponsor Spotlight: Opinion Outpost

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From Ma Ingalls to Claire Huxtable, Mrs. Pteranodon to Marmee March, we’re discussing our favorite moms from books, TV and movies this week on the podcast. We hope after listening you’ll be as nostalgic for classic literature as we are (and maybe that you’ll also want to binge-watch Arrested Development). Enjoy! Featured Sponsor: Epic! Epic!

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What’s your favorite way to help a new mom? In this very special episode–recorded LIVE at The New Mom School in Newport Beach–Meagan and Sarah offer some outside-the-box ideas for helping a new mom, PLUS our amazing live audience chimes in with stories and tips from their own new mom days. Enjoy! Links we mentioned

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Sports and activities should add fun and fulfillment to your family culture--not suck the life out of it. And yet, between keeping wiggly babies occupied in the gymnastics waiting area and driving all over town for team sports commitments, it's easy to feel like there's a high cost to all that "fun". Meagan and Sarah offer concrete tips for being a happier sports parent as we head into this new school year. From opting out of mommy-and-me classes to letting older kids dabble instead of specialize, we're here to remind you that your happiness matters (and that your kid is probably not a future Olympian). PLUS, listen all the way to the end for a fun segment featuring Sarah and Katie Addiss.

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Whether you have kids heading back to the classroom or not, this time of year feels like an opportunity to renew routines, set some goals, and tackle some overdue projects. Back to school is like another New Year for moms, and in this episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah get specific about their own "resolutions" in the areas of work, creativity, health, home, food, and parenting. Join us!

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We’re looking ahead at the new school year and talking about what it means for each of our combined EIGHT kids, ages 4 through 19. Join Meagan and Sarah as we go age by age and discuss what the challenges, opportunities, and unique situations are for each grade level–everything from transitioning to middle school to

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Supply envy, pumping woes, and prop overload: These are just a few of the things that Meagan, Sarah, and resident-nursing-mom Katie realize in hindsight that we worried way too much about in our early breastfeeding days. Join us for a frank discussion about the things we wish we’d known about breastfeeding, plus our tips for

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Dr. Catherine Pearlman has been helping parents with behavioral challenges and family dynamics for nearly 20 years through her private coaching practice and career as a social worker. In this special episode of The Mom Hour Voices, Catherine sits down with Sarah to talk about strategies moms can use to curb frustrating behavior patterns and enjoy parenting more.

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What does “healthy” mean for your family? What are the behaviors and values around food you try to model for your kids? And what little things can we do as parents to show our kids a healthy relationship with food and eating that will (hopefully) create a lasting impression? These are the questions Meagan and

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If one more game of Candy Land or Monopoly threatens to send you over sanity’s edge, this is the podcast episode for you. In Episode 112 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer practical tips for making game play as a family tolerable–and even fun. We talk about including little players who can’t quite

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Maryanne asks if we’ve ever requested our kid change teachers at school, Danya hopes to find balance between accepting her postpartum body and sticking to a realistic fitness routine, and Janine shares that her safety worries are keeping her from getting out with her little ones. In Episode 110 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and

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Anyone who's been through a divorce or other major life change knows that stress, uncertainty, and feeling out of control are unavoidable. But you CAN find ways to quiet the chatter in your head, take care of yourself, and take steps toward creating the kind of life you want to live - no matter what circumstances you're in. Meagan chats with Jessica Ashley, certified divorce coach and founder of Single Mom Nation, about managing stress and getting your feet back on solid ground during uncertain times.

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What do parades, pretend play, Dr. Seuss books, and playground swings have in common? If you’re a longtime listener, you already know the answer. They’re all things Meagan and Sarah kinda-sorta hate and aren’t ashamed to admit it. Episode 109 is an encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes to date–the one where

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Can your preschooler unload the dishwasher? Can your 3rd grader walk the dog on her own? Can your middle schooler remember his sports gear before every practice? Or, maybe a better question: Can ours? Join Meagan and Sarah in Episode 108 of The Mom Hour for an honest look at how competent our kids are

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Where have all the shoulders gone? Meagan needs to know. Sarah can’t figure out intentionally saggy boobs and is apologetically kind of over slogan tanks that reference coffee, wine, yoga, Jesus, or mascara. Join us for a fun discussion of fashion trends we just can’t get behind–plus a few we’re loving this summer. Sponsor Spotlight

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Going off the grid for vacation sounds great in theory, but most of us rely on technology to make family travel possible. From iPad-enabled airplane rides to road trip playlists for the whole family, both Sarah and Meagan see tech as a great enhancement to vacation parenting in the digital age. In Episode 106 we

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What happens when a busy family with four kids and a beautiful home decides to sell their house and hit the road in an RV for a year? Meagan chats with blogger Jill Krause of BabyRabies.com about her new adventure with Happy Loud Life.

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Are you totally satisfied with your work/mom balance? Turns out, a lot of you are. But when we asked listeners to weigh in on this question, two-thirds said they either wished they could be home more (or work in a more flexible way) OR that they were home but wished they could find some fulfillment or income

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There's everyday self-care, and then there's survival mode: when taking care of yourself isn't just a smart thing to do but also your only means of making it through the day. We're talking about the kind of physical, mental, and emotional self-care that becomes especially crucial in a crisis, and we're addressing it head-on in Episode 104.

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We talk about raising kids on this show all the time, but we don’t always spend time talking about OUR kids specifically. In Episode 103 Meagan and Sarah discuss why it’s sometimes hard to talk about your kids without sounding like you’re bragging, especially as they get older. We then take turns sharing a few awesome

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If you’re looking for tips and tricks for nailing the end-of-school-year parenting thing, this might not be the podcast for you. If, however, you’re looking for shared misery in that long, slow crawl to the finish that is late May, WELCOME. Let’s commiserate. In Episode 102 Meagan and Sarah share what’s worst about their end-of-school lives

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The relationship between kids and technology is often portrayed as something parents are supposed to fear, monitor, and and control as much as possible. But what if we approached it as an opportunity to mentor and connect with our kids instead? Sarah interviews author and speaker Dr. Devorah Heitner about her book Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World.

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When we invited listeners to send in handwritten cards and letters with encouraging words for fellow moms, we had no idea the response we’d get. Turns out, you have a lot to say–and we were truly blown away by your response. Join Meagan, Sarah, and fifteen very special guest readers for a special presentation of our

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Sometimes the words we need to hear most are the simplest, the most obvious, and even a little cliché: this too shall pass, all kids are different, there is no one right way. In a very special (at one point even teary!) Episode 100 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer some of their

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Does the phrase ‘sex ed’ conjure up super awkward memories of the low-production-value videos you had to watch with your 5th grade classmates? If so, we’ve got great news for you. When it comes time to talk about puberty, growing up, and relationships with your kids, there’s a much better way. In this episode of our

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Popular media tells us we’re supposed to love our bodies (and then gives us 19 Ways To Bounce Back After Baby), but coming to terms with the changes that childbirth, breastfeeding, and plain ol’ aging bring to our bodies is complicated and sometimes really hard. Join Meagan and Sarah for a frank discussion about body

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Does anybody really do a deep spring clean anymore? And what is it about the warmer weather that makes us want to open our doors–literally!–and have a few people over? In the latest in our More-Than-Mom Hour series we talk all about spring cleaning, spring home updates, and tips for casual entertaining. Join us! Featured

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Longterm financial planning can seem like a lofty goal when you're faced with the immediate needs of a growing family: paying for childcare, putting food on the table, and maybe even springing for a date night once in a while. Thinking about retirement and college tuition is something grownups do, right? Not overwhelmed new parents?

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Meagan's kids are getting older and car seats and boosters are a thing of the past. Sarah is still the thick of it with three young kids and lots of driving around town. Can you guess which of us a drives a brand new, "murdered out" crossover SUV and which of us is rocking a filthy, cluttered minivan?

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To Elf or not to Elf? What’s the going rate for a tooth these days? And when did a St. Patrick’s Day visit from the leprechaun become a THING? In Episode 96 of The Mom Hour Meagan and Sarah talk about how these magical night visitors–from St. Nick and the Easter Bunny to lesser-known myths like the pacifier

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How do we raise curious kids who love to learn, and who discover and follow their own interests? How do we cultivate a home environment that supports kids' intellectual development without going overboard and zapping the joy right out of learning? These are questions that Meagan and Sarah tackle in Episode 95. Join us!

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What do we wish we'd worried about LESS in hindsight? What are we doing differently--and the same--than our parents' generation did? And just what do we think about sending a seven-year-old to sleepaway camp? We're taking on three more great listener questions in Episode 94, and offering our advice to moms Avery, Mandee, and Alicia.

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Preschool boys interested in bad-guy play, fighting stereotypes while raising girls, and how to find the balance between self-acceptance and the desire to grow. These are BIG topics and we've got things to say in response to three fantastic listener questions.

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Rachel Macy Stafford is the New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life, and Only Love Today, and this week she joins Meagan in a special bonus interview episode of The Mom Hour. In this episode, Rachel and Meagan discuss Rachel’s journey from being a stressed-out, over-scheduled mom to scaling back

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Is there anything sweeter than baby's first social smile (you know, the one that definitely ISN'T gas) or a two-year-old's adorable mispronunciations? In Episode 92 Meagan and Sarah revisit some of their favorite milestones from baby's first three years - including a few that don't get discussed very often.

We also talk about keeping track of milestones and memories using everything from an old-fashioned baby book to the latest technology, and offer tips for recording those little moments you swear you'll remember forever. (Spoiler alert: you won't. Trust us.)

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Ever wondered what it takes to produce the show you listen to every week? In Episode 91 Meagan and Sarah take listeners behind the scenes on The Mom Hour, sharing everything from how we come up with show ideas, what goes on in each of our locations while we record, and what's involved on the technical side in taking a podcast episode from concept to completion. Join us!Plus, listen to the end of the show for a special segment featuring Katie Addiss, our Content Strategy Assistant and resident new mom. Welcome to the show, Katie!

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Which kids' clothing brands look great, don't cost a fortune, and wear well through the active years of childhood? In Episode 90 Meagan and Sarah talk all about kids' clothes - where we shop, how we style our kids, and tips for storing and organizing all those clothes. Enjoy!

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Routines are crucial to a happy mom life, but what happens when the same-old-same-old needs some shaking up? In this episode, the latest in our “More Than Mom” Hour series, Meagan and Sarah talk about the importance of trying new things as a mom – whether it’s a new hairstyle, new recipes, or a new workout

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By 2012, blogger and author Erin Loechner could boast a massively successful blog, an HGTV special, a beautiful home, and even a beautiful new baby. But amid all that success, Erin found herself feeling lost and unfulfilled. In this week’s bonus interview podcast episode, Erin describes her journey toward a slower way of life (and explains how even “slow” living can

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The postpartum period is many things, but predictable isn't one of them. In this podcast episode, Meagan and Sarah share the symptoms and experiences after having a baby that surprised them most.

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Not sleeping? You're not alone. In today's podcast Meagan and Sarah offer helpful tips for making it through the day when your nights are long and, uh, eventful. Weather you have a new baby, a kid with bad dreams, or a struggle with insomnia yourself, we're here to help. (If we could bring coffee, we'd do that too.)

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