A For Effort

Calling Poison Control is almost like a right of passage as a parent. Does that make you a bad parent.....? We're going to say no, but also, don't leave those things out. If you've called the fire department to come get your kid out of an elevator... you get an extra special medal. Cause that's some real unique anxiety right there. Your kid? Alone in an elevator? Pushing all those buttons, possibl...

A few weeks ago Amanda told Eric (Megan's husband) that they were headed to Disneyland. Eric had the bug in his ear, who then told Megan, who has fomo, and therefore a group roadtrip was planned. So we left on a Wednesday came home on Sunday. This is not the first time we've done this quick 10 hour road trip, and honestly, it wasn't too bad... if bad at all... honestly, it was kinda great! 

It makes sense that the creator of such fun games, is also fun himself. Grandpa Beck, the creator of Cover Your Assets, Gnoming Around and many more, answers all our questions this week! From his previous life as a pilot to the production factory in Poland, he was kind enough to entertain us for an hour, and as a result, we have an in depth interview with our favorite game creator!  Find his delig...

This week we talk about the expectations we have as parents and whether those are reality! From modeling our own homes after Downton Abbey, to the endless amount of free time you'll have when your kids to go school (think daily mom naps), to the variety of chicken nuggets you feed your children. It's all covered in this episode and we guarantee you'll learn nothing. But you may feel validated. We...

In this episode we talk about all the elements of a family movie night! The popcorn, the movies, the setting. Are you watching remakes or aren't you? Are you into the Beast or are you lying? Do you lick the truffle salt from the bowl or is that repulsive? We wanted to know and the listeners let us know!

In this weeks episode, we have a conversation with our resident and self proclaimed "Glam Grandma!" Lynne Parmiter Bowman is a woman who gets things done! All while eating healthy and making memories at her kitchen table. Her cookbook Brownies for Breakfast (linked below) would be a great addition to any kitchen and we will for sure be making her deviled eggs next time we entertain! Buy Brownies f...

We all wonder how people do what they do. And with the invention of social media, our curiosity is at an all time high. In this episode you can expect no answers from these two. They still have no idea how people put their kids to bed or how they travel to that remote island, but they do, in the words of Megan, "speculate." There is a lot of "speculating" going on in this episode.

1 year later and we're still here. We still have no idea how, but because of our listeners we're still here! So thank you! As we start the 2nd year of A For Effort, we look back on what we've learned. Who know's! Maybe this will spark something in you, in which case, we are your biggest cheerleaders!

In our last episode of 2022, we're looking back at the year we and our listeners had. And although it may sound cliche, there were no complaints! With mentions of travel, graduations and babies, our listeners accomplished so much and have so much to look forward to! Everyone needs a cheerleader in their life, and thankfully for you, you've got two!

Christmas is only 6 days away and we're talking "the naughty or nice list" which lead into the "Elf on the Shelf" which was a natural (hear the sarcasm) segway into people who peek when gifts are around. And thankfully, you're in good company because apparently both of us are perpetual peekers! Surprise, surprise. 

In this Christmas gift exchange, we give the listeners all the “Christmas Feels” and “Christmas Cringies,” in exchange for a good old fashioned review! Seems like a fair trade 🤷🏼‍♀️

After this episode, we've thought about starting another side hustle to help all those husbands out there who think TIRES and SINK DRAINS are a good Christmas gift. Sorry to break it to ya, but it's not. Honestly, that's just the beginning though... this episode we talk easy gifts that seem to be a success, then we dive into the submissions, and we promise you won't be disappointed. 

We are not a fan of waiting until the last minute to do your holiday shopping. So we've tried to make it easy on you and we asked what ya'll are giving your kids for Christmas and we're back to report on what was said! But it wouldn't be a true AFE episode if we didn't share the blunders of gifting as well. So there might be mentions of slime and recorders, but we promise, we're not going to tell...

If none of those above mentioned "parenting styles" speak to you, fear not, there are probably 50 more animals with their own styles that we haven't even discussed yet! But in this episode, we put on our "wanna be expert" hats, and do a deep dive into an episode of The Happiness Lab that had us talking all week!

The season of perpetual gratitude is upon us and we're kicking it off right by talking about, nothing other than, America's favorite topic: FOOD. We took all the polls, we read all the comments, and we have a few ourselves. But if you take one thing from this episode, it's that less is more, and we love all pies. 

Switch Witch disclaimer: If you have kids who listen, and participate in the S.W. program, you might want to skip to 7:06 or preview first as to preserve the magic. Otherwise, the season of gratitude is upon us! Although, we are firm believers in celebrating gratitude from November - October. But in this episode we're sharing the good news that KIDS ARE AMAZING. They're funny, they're witty, they'...

All things Halloween in this episode! From costumes that are acceptable, to candy that is not. We're covering all the things that make this holiday what it is... for better or for worse.

It starts right away. Those little phrases you feel like you have on repeat all day long. Get your shoes on. Get your backpack. Shut the door. Shut the door. Shut. The. Door. It's a miracle these phrases haven't made it into our dreams yet... cause heavens knows that's all we ever say.

Grandparents, the only babysitters you'll ever have with their own set of rules.

Look, you're a 10. You're awesome. You're one of a kind. You're as good as they come.  But your belt takes me down every time. And those counters look like the streets of a carnival. And I already know how you're "such a boss," so keep it to yourself. Love you, but no ones perfect. In this episode we laid it all out for you, and really, don't be offended, it's not personal. We just want a clean ki...

Lisa Valentine Clark joins us this week as we talk through all the seasons of parenthood. What do you do when the kids heads to school with no shoes? When do you have “the talk” with your kids? We learned so much and also felt so validated after our talk with this seasoned mom! We hope you will, too!  Make sure to find Lisa’s podcast on any platform: The Lisa Show!

This week we compiled all those Tweets that are relatable, almost too relatable…. Chances are high though you’ll leave feeling very seen. We got you! We’re doggy paddling through all this together! 

Like you, WE CANNOT BELIEVE IT!! But yes, it really is him. Chris Van Dusen sits down with us in this bonus episode to talk all things, parenting, Maine and Mercy Watson. PLUS, he also shares the origin story of The Circus Ship! How lucky are we?!

These two moms are obsessed with books. We read a lot and our kids read even more! And if your kids don't read, fear not. Chances are they just haven't found a book yet that speaks to them. In this episode we share all our favorite books, for kids, for tweens, for teens and even for moms! We're taking the guess work out of picking entertaining books for your family. Rest assured, these recommendat...

It’s practically a right of passage into parenthood to get embarrassed by your cherubic children. We’ve all been there! Now, we’re here to laugh about (mostly because we’re far enough removed from it). This episode recounts listeners’ embarrassing parenting moments, and we share a few of our own gems, too.