Okayest Moms: The Podcast

Nel Parks, the Sacramento area lead for Free Mom Hugs, talks to Heather and Brittany about how she works to create change for the LGBTQ+ community through education and acceptance. about nel parks Nel uses she/her pronouns.  She is married to her high school sweetheart, and they have three amazing adult children, ages 27, 23, and 20. She is the Sacramento Area Lead for Free Mom Hugs.  She loves Di...

Congressional candidate, Dr. Kermit Jones, joins Brittany and Heather to talk about what his campaign in California’s 3rd has been like, and his outlook for Election Day. Dr. Kermit also shares what it’s been like out on the campaign trail. ABOUT Dr. Kermit Jones Dr. Kermit Jones learned the value of hard work growing up on his family’s farm. After 9/11, he joined the Navy and served in Iraq as a...

Heather and Brittany talk to fellow podcaster, Kate Kennedy, host of Be There In Five podcast. In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, Kate shares about her pregnancy loss, and how that lead her to advocate for other women, in light of the Texas abortion bans and the Dobbs Decision happening concurrently. Trigger warning: pregnancy loss about kate kennedy Kate Kennedy is a Chicago b...

Heather and Brittany talk to Liuba Gretchen Shirley, Founder and CEO of Vote Mama. Vote Mama is the first Political Action Committee (PAC) dedicated to electing progressive moms up and down the ballot. Gretchen shares about her run for political office as the mother of young children, and why it’s important to have more mothers represented amongst lawmakers. About Liuba Gretchen Shirley Liuba Grec...

Listen in as we read and hear your stories about imperfect motherhood in our new series, Okayest Mom Moments! You know those moments in motherhood that make you pause and whisper “WTF?” under your breath? Those moments that are so unique to motherhood that if you don’t laugh, you might cry? These stories are meant to reassure you that no one is doing motherhood perfectly, and that there is beauty...

The Okayest Moms kick off their Activism series with school board candidate, Jen Brookover. School boards are often smaller, more localized elections, but they tend to play a major role in the lives of the people effect. Jen discusses her campaign, and why it is similar to other school board elections around the country, and how she plans to impact her district if elected. ABOUT jen brookover Jen...

Ashley Brown, of Routine and Things, joins Heather and Brittany to talk about routine blocking and why it’s perfect for overwhelmed, busy moms like you. She also shares about her new planner, and how using it will make remembering all the things easier than ever. ABOUT Ashley Brown Ashley Brown is a mom of two, author of the Routine Building Handbook, and owner of Routine and Things, which serves...

Heather and Brittany are back with another round of Ask Us Anything. Between a combination of listener submitted questions, and frequently asked questions, they give a general update on life. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Ask us anything An update on how the new school year is going The ear plugs that will change your motherhood experience How Brittany is loving home ownership Will Heather sub again this ye...

Heather and Brittany talk about things they want to remember when they are the grandmas, and their children are parenting young children, and how they see their role as grandma playing out in the future. Of course, it’s all easier said than done, and no one knows what the future holds! what to listen for: When we’re grandmas Generational differences and how Brittany and Heather predict that will b...

Kelly Bandas joins Heather and Brittany to discuss her new book, Rookie Mistakes. She shares her inspiration for writing the book, and how she managed to do it with three boys at home during a pandemic. Kelly’s love of pop culture shine throughout the book, so of course, the Okayest Moms had to talk all things Bravo and reality tv with her too. about kelly bandas Kelly Bandas is a writer and comed...

Listen in as we read and hear your stories about imperfect motherhood in our new series, Okayest Mom Moments! You know those moments in motherhood that make you pause and whisper “WTF?” under your breath? Those moments that are so unique to motherhood that if you don’t laugh, you might cry? These stories are meant to reassure you that no one is doing motherhood perfectly, and that there is beauty...

Deciding when to give kids their first cell phone is challenging. Dr. Catherine Pearlman joins Brittany and Heather to discuss all things kids and cell phones, including what age, how to teach etiquette and rules around owning a phone, and how to approach tricky conversations about the dangers of the Internet. about dr. catherine pearlman Dr. Catherine Pearlman is the founder of The Family Coach a...

Heather and Brittany are joined by parenting educator, JoAnn Crohn, of No Guilt Mom podcast. JoAnn shares why the secret to getting kids to cooperate is in regulating and understanding emotions. She also shares why she doesn’t associate chores with allowance, and some tips for tackling homework battles. about joann crohn JoAnn Crohn, M. Ed is a parenting educator who helps moms feel confident in e...

Melissa Evans, founder of Momeez Choice, joins Heather and Brittany to talk about fostering a new identity after motherhood. They also talk about how a simple, brilliant idea lead Melissa to start a business, and how that pivot affected her family, and her advice for mothers considering taking on a new identity. ABOUT Melissa Evans Melissa Evans is a mom of four and the Founder of Momeez Choice Or...

As busy moms, cultivating a wardrobe you love is probably pretty low on the to do list. With so many people working from home, years of pandemic, and just general mom life, it’s safe to say everyone’s wardrobe could use a little attention. Cammeo Murray joins Brittany and Heather to talk about how to sort through your existing wardrobe, how to build it into the wardrobe of your dreams, and the ben...

Heather and Brittany talk about the roles they play in their school communities, some misconceptions about getting involved in your PTC (or PTA, PTO, Booster Club, or whatever name your child’s school calls it), and ways to make volunteering accessible if you are a working parent or don’t like being around large groups of kids. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Volunteering What volunteering at school looks lik...

Fostering a positive parent teacher relationship with your child’s teacher can make all the difference in the school year. Heather and Brittany talk to Kelsey of Wife Teacher Mommy about how to start the school year off on the right foot, how to maintain positive communication, and how teachers can work through burnout. ABOUT kelsey Kelsey Sorenson is a former teacher and substitute teacher turned...

Packing lunches can be the biggest pain point when it comes to getting the kids out the door for school in the morning. JeeYoung shares easy bento boxes that are attainable, done in 10-15 minutes, and most importantly, kid approved. She also shares her go to items to pack in lunches in case your kid’s lunches need some sprucing up. About JeeYoung JeeYoung is a Korean-American Michigan-born mom to...

Back to school time means back to routine and the flurry of after school activities, including the chaos that can be weeknight meals. Meghan and Stacie of Didn’t I Just Feed You, a podcast about feeding kids, join the Okayest Moms to talk about finding peace with weeknight meals. ABOUT Meghan & Stacie Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn are the co-hosts of Didn’t I Just Feed You, a weekly podcast...

It may be the middle of summer, but Back to School season will be here before we know it. We’re tackling the topic early so that you have time to implement new systems, and slowly ease yourself back into the mayhem that is a new school year. In this first episode of the series, we are talking to Carly Adams of Tidy Revival. Carly shares practical tips to help tackle the backpacks, lunchboxes, and...

We try our best to save replays for only our most beloved and timely episodes, and this episode featuring Marion and Rachel from Mama Dragons is more important than ever. With anti-gay and anti-trans legislation cropping up all across our country, we felt re-sharing their powerful stories during PRIDE Month was more important than ever. This is a very early episode from our Summer Series, so the a...

Mommy wine culture is nothing new, and many women turned to alcohol to help them cope with the mounting stressors of the pandemic, us included. Amanda Goetz, founder of House of Wise, joins Heather and Brittany to talk about her turning point in her relationship with alcohol, and why she decided to start a CBD company specifically for women. ABOUT amanda goetz Amanda Goetz is the Founder & CEO...

In honor of Pride Month, Heather and Brittany we are celebrating lesbian motherhood by talking to Justine and Candice. Justine and Candice share their journey to motherhood, some challenges their family has faced simply for being different, and that there are more commonalities in the motherhood experience than differences, no matter what your partnership looks like. ABOUT Justine and Candice Just...

Summer cooking is hard because it’s hot, the kids are home, the last thing you want to do after a hot day of entertaining everyone is feed them. Especially since you’ve likely also been in charge of their breakfast and lunch too. This guide to stress free summer cooking gives you nutrient dense dinner ideas that require little to no thought, and as little time in a hot kitchen as possible. WHAT TO...

Summer break is just around the corner, and no matter if you work outside the home, work from home, or any combination you are probably doing some kind of child care juggling and a new routine. Brittany and Heather share what they hope their summer routines & goals will look like, and how they are building time for themselves into the summer. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR: Summer routines & goals Hea...