Never The Empty Nest

Today’s nest-guest takes all of us on a journey from the divine feminine to the Black Madonna, who represents transformation through fire. In fact, the very core of this episode is about transformation itself; what it means to start again. The ladies talk about holy places – from Christchurch to Tinder and The Corner Bar;  the airline industry and what it means to be a Swuban (Swiss-Cuban for thos...

While Vanessa is away at the Latin Grammys, the authors and creators of the book Designing Motherhood join the nest to talk about the framework of reproductive justice, about how their own nests have led them to who they are and what they believe about looking at motherhood through the lens of design. Nicole, Amber, Michelle and Jackie talk about the power of unconditional love, nursing, the ways...

Vanessa, Nicole, and Jackie, have had a conflictive couple of weeks. They talk about the how, the why, the what, and whether they were actually having conflicts or crises – there’s a difference (Yoda mom explains). They discover that conflict is essential, as in all story, but they also talk about how to get out of it once you’re in the stew too long. Plus, Vanessa gets the giggles (uncontrollable...

Vanessa is still away, this time she’s on a biz trip with her husband, and let’s just say mom and sister do a little behind-her-back gossiping. What starts out as an episode about how the pandemic has changed the nest, ends up being a “chisme-fest.” They also go into Nicole’s baby-steps back into the actor’s life again, dog pee, and an old job at a nightclub Nicole used to have. Somehow, the boome...

This week it’s just Jackie and Nicole talking about the decision to stay home with the kids, losing yourself, finding yourself, and making your way back into the workforce.  Mostly, they talk about the respect that’s missing on both ends of the mom spectrum – the full-time (sometimes over-time) working mom, and the “stay-at-home” (whatever that means). They also do a little reflecting on Nancy Mey...

So many theories throughout the years. Piaget, Maria Montessori, and, let’s not forget, good ‘ol Doctor Spock (not to be confused with Spock, Leonard Nimoy’s character on Star Trek, although child-rearing can sometimes feel like you’re drifting in space). In this episode, the Garcia sisters and their mom talk about nature, nurture, how all their kids are different, and the constant decision making...

In this episode the ladies discuss what it means to "go with the flow," and boy does flow meander across some tricky channels and pretty broad oceans. Also, Taika has the croup and we discover that Nicole is the "deli meat" of the group. Yoda-mom gets a little germ-phobic and we come to realize that even though we're trying to go with the flow, we might all be just a little traumatized by this pan...

This is a special, unedited, bilingual bonus episode – and one wild ride of a story. We are releasing it just in time for the feast day of St. Lazaro, Dec. 17th! It’s the story of Heriberto Canela, who left Cuba during the Mariel Boatlift. His arrival in the United States was epic, but to add to that, he promised to return for his parents. So, after arriving in the States, he threw himself to the...

For this episode, we welcome Zelmira Crespi, Vanessa’s sister-in-law, mother of five and co-author of Happy Mom, Happy Kid. She tells of her journey into motherhood and what it was like to learn, in your late twenties, that your first born would have Down Syndrome. We talk about the blessing, chaos, madness and method of big nests, and what it means to not lose yourself inside them. Meanwhile, our...

Art is very much a part of our podcast—music specifically – a song is at the center of it. Just as there is a song at the center of the freedom fight for Cuba right as we record and release this podcast. These songs, the emotions they bring forth, are the history and the hope of our intimate and greater nest. We unpack all of this here, alongside a prophetic letter from our grandfather (and Jackie...

So, love can get noisy, with all the languages it speaks, right? In this episode we dissect them all – gift-giving (mamma bird is getting an eternity ring!), acts of service, PDA, words of affirmation and so much more. We also talk about how these love languages are maybe conditioned? How they evolve, and how they can expand to help us when we speak and interact with the rest of the world – social...

From Winnie the Pooh, to baking bread with our grandfather, to the beauty of bountiful meals and the horror of eating disorders. From popcorn cheats to learning Italian and dreaming of pasta. It’s all here as we dive into the moments that bring us together around the table, from the stove top of our hearts to yours. You’re going to get hungry, so bring a snack. 

When Marta and Maria Irene couldn’t find a summer camp that felt right for their kids, they built their own. One that included cooking and food from around the world, music, and, most importantly, one that spoke Spanish. When they’re not building a summer camp, Maria Irene teaches Montessori and Marta helps victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse. Plus we get a gem of a love story – an imp...

Katherine Vaz and Christopher Cerf married late in life (Katherine was 59; Chris was 73) – made their nests by the time they’d already flown around the world a few times. Katherine also happens to be the author of the first Portuguese-American novel published by a big house and Christopher is known for being one of the original members of the “street gang” that made Sesame Street and, potentially,...

Jackie poses a question: Do we lose our intuition the older we get? The girls rebut with: Or do we just get smarter? What does instinct have to do with survival and love. What does analysis have to do with depression? All questions that arise in this episode, as the birds chirp about adoption, big moves, the discernment process, and Spain. Yoda mom leads the way.

It sounds idyllic: birds huddled around each other for warmth in a bed set up by a clever, loving mamma bird. But keeping that nest together is harder than it looks. Americans, it turns out, are more estranged than ever from family members, while, at the same time, they have more multi-generational households than ever. What’s going on?  Vanessa, Nicole, and Jackie dig into what it means to hold t...

In this episode Vanessa, Nicole, and Jackie perch themselves at the edge of their nest to chirp out and introduce themselves as well as what “Never the Empty Nest” means and where the idea comes from. They talk about generational nesting, which Jackie calls an experiment. One that reaches, at least for them, all the way back to a family bed in Lanaja, Spain, through to Cuba and now stretches acros...

An experiment in generational nesting which is, in essence, the ways in which family holds together throughout the lives of its members, their joys, their hardships, their care, their living, breathing roots, and legacies in the making. It’s never too early or too late to add a twig to the nest and roost!