Brummie Mummies

This episode is packed full of ideas on all the best family days out around the Midlands. There are so many great places to go and things to see, how do you choose, especially when some can be so expensive? Zoe welcomes back Birmingham mum Lavania Oluban who runs a blog called The Amazing Adventures of Me, which is all about getting out and about with her son Arlo. Zoe and Lavania discuss their ow...

Zoe talks to Ruth Lue Quee, a new mum whose live lockdown streams led her to quit her job as a deputy headteacher and set up her own business bursting with activities for preschoolers. Ruth, from Wolverhampton, had her son just before the pandemic broke and suddenly found herself home alone wishing she could take him to baby groups. So, she started live-streaming their home play sessions on Instag...

Today’s guest is Ryan Mahon, a father of two who has had to learn how to become both dad and mum to his little girls, following the tragic death of his beloved wife to breast cancer. Nadia sadly died on June 9, 2020, aged just 38, right in the middle of the Covid lockdowns. Ryan describes her as a beautiful wife and mum who had an aura of positivity. Zoe chats with Ryan as he bravely talks about t...

Zoe Chamberlain chats with ‘Nana Made Me’ founder, Tess Allen. After realising there was very little available for grandparents who provide childcare for their grandchildren, Tess and her friend Linda set up their very own group called ‘Nana Made Me’ in Birmingham. Tess explains all about the traditional activities they do and discusses how ideas on parenting have changed over the years! Tess has...

Every parent wants their child’s school life to be great. In this week’s episode we’re talking to Davinder Jandu, headteacher at Yarnfield Primary in Tyseley, who has bags of experience in helping families make the right decisions and easing those school day blues. Davinder has suggestions on how to choose the right school, what questions to ask and clues to look out for, and what to do if your ch...

Do you still go out and socialise now that you’re a parent? This is something that today’s guest Sophie Parekh and her husband battled over after they had their first baby. In this episode Zoe Chamberlain chats with Sophie and finds out all about Big Fish Little Fish raves for parents to take their kids too, and the importance of going out after having kids. Learn Sophie’s strategies for making go...

In this week’s episode Zoe speaks with Nathalie Newman, a mum of two whose son Callum has 28 severe allergies. She says it’s like living with a ticking time bomb, almost like Russian roulette on a daily basis. But Nathalie and Callum have made it their mission to make life, and particularly eating, a joyful experience rather than one full of restrictions. Find out all about their free-from journey...

In this special episode we’ll be sharing all the brilliant things to do in the Midlands in the run up to Christmas. We’re getting particularly excited as so many events are happening that we didn’t get a chance to do last year due to Covid restrictions. We’ve put together this guide to help you plan your festivities. Join Zoe Chamberlain and show producer Matt Millard as they talk about all things...

In this episode Zoe Chamberlain chats with the hugely popular writer and performer Tova Leigh about how she got thousands of mums and dads across the world to share their parenting confessions with her. Tova started hosting Pyjama Party Confessions evenings on Facebook as a way of hanging out with friends and like-minded mums. She found that fessing up to the white lies and extravagant claims we’v...

Today’s guest is Kadian Pow, who came up with an amazing hair and beauty range in her kitchen in Birmingham! Frustrated that washing and detangling her hair took a good two hours, she started to explore ways to speed up the process. After two years of experimenting, she was so pleased with her finished product, she made additional pots to give as gifts to her friends, and soon after she start sell...

This episode is all about homes and gardens and how you can transform yours! Zoe talks to busy mum, interior design guru and blogger Claire Wainwright, who has renovated her Moseley home with her husband Will over the past few years and has even created a hidden oasis in her back garden. Claire shares all her tips and advice on interior design and how to make the best choices when renovating or de...

In this episode we hear from single working mum and blogger Lavania Oluban - She tells us all about why she set up her and her son’s blog 'The Amazing Adventures of Me' and why 'me-time' is so important for mums and dads. Find out how Lavania makes sure to factor in time for herself everyday and why no parent should feel guilty for taking the time to look after themselves as well as their little o...

Zoe Chamberlain chats with guest Jodie Cook, who believes entrepreneurship stems from childhood. From around the age of six, Jodie’s mum encouraged her to book her own doctors and dentists appointments and to pack her own suitcase when she went on holiday. She grew up thinking this was the norm but, only upon reaching adulthood realised that actually her mum had given her the skills needed for ind...

Do you wish you could all get fitter as a family, but struggle to find the time? In this episode Zoe chats with busy mum-of-five Sophia Kapcia who shares how she manages to balance a full-time job, studying for a PhD and dedicating time to exercise. We all know that keeping fit both physically and mentally is really important, but it can often be overlooked. Sophia sheds light on her smart ways to...

In this special episode of the Brummie Mummies podcast we’ll be sharing all the brilliant things to do in and around Birmingham this summer. This summer will hopefully offer a first chance to do lots of things that many of us haven’t been able to do for a long time. Unlike previous summers where we’ve been able to get up in the morning, see what the weather’s doing and where our mood’s might take...

Zoe Chamberlain chats with mum-of-two and beauty business owner Maxine Laceby, who began by brewing up bone broth on her stove, which she sold to her friends as a collagen beauty product to improve hair, skin and nails. Enlisting the help of her two daughters, Maxine and her girls have now enjoyed massive success, with an astonishing £10million turnover in just three years. Not bad for someone who...

Creativity is key to 21st century family living. It offers us comfort in difficult times, it allows us freedom of expression and it’s an essential skill that’s becoming increasingly in demand in modern day workplaces. In this episode, Zoe chats with mum, wellbeing coach and author Susie Pearl, to find out how we can nurture creativity in ourselves and our children, especially when we are all just...

Zoe Chamberlain chats with bookshop owner and mum of three Jenny McCann about how parents can instil a love of reading in their children, what to do to help reluctant readers, why reading is so important in all aspects of learning and in later life and about how she juggles being a busy mum with running a new business. Jenny McCann felt like every moment of her life was accounted for with a busy j...

How far would you go in pursuit of your dreams? In this episode you will hear the inspirational story of Emily Wright - who despite facing adversity, never gave up on turning her dreams into reality. Emily had to return to work when her baby was just three weeks old due to financial pressures, she was evicted from her home and lost all her hair due to stress-induced alopecia. Despite this, in the...

Welcome to the very first episode of the Brummie Mummies podcast. Originally launched back in 2015, Brummie Mummies is a well known community for families in Birmingham and beyond, helping parents to connect both online and in person. Join show host and Brummie Mummies founder Zoe Chamberlain as she takes a trip down memory lane and tells you all about Brummie Mummies! Find out how things started,...

Do you feel pressured to get back to your pre-baby weight? In this episode, our guest Sophia Cooper is calling for us to celebrate our wobbly bits instead of feeling embarrassed by them! Zoe Chamberlain chats with Sophia about everything from postnatal depression and body image, to how she set up a church hall group where mums could exercise with their babies and what transformed it into the hugel...

Welcome to the Brummie Mummies podcast, the show that shares inspiring stories from Birmingham mums and dads and is brimming with useful advice and suggestions. This podcast is packed full of tips from real Birmingham parents as host and Brummie Mummies founder Zoe Chamberlain chats to mums and dads of all backgrounds about how to juggle family life and all that comes with it. Here's a glimpse of...