The Mom Hour

How do you make your town feel more like a home? That’s the question journalist and mom Melody Warnick set out to answer after moving her family to a new town for the sixth time. In this month’s BONUS interview episode Meagan interviews Melody about her book,  This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live , and the ideas in it. LINKS MENTIONED: Melody’s book,...

Isn’t it amazing how quickly we forget the details about each age and stage as soon as they’re behind us? In this week’s episode, Sarah draws numbers from a hat –  literally  – to prompt a little reflection on the ages our collective kids are right now. If you’ve got little kids have ever wondered what age 12 is like, or if your kids are older and you want to look back on the lispy sweet...

“Hi Sarah and Meagan, this is Sheena from Oregon, and I have two questions that both relate to time management. I have a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old and I’m finding that I’m always behind, and I’m wondering if you have any tips for how to get ahead? Also, how do you find time in the day to play? I find that I’m always just trying to get the kids busy so I can get...

It’s mid-July and time for an update on our summer travels! Join Meagan and Sarah for a fun conversation about cross-country road trips, flying solo with three kids, and what our families watched, listened to, read and played while on vacation. We also talk about what’s coming up for us, and for The Mom Hour, in the second half of the summer. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Big Quiet Camping  (wher...

Welcome to part two in our series on personality types! Last week we discussed the general appeal of personality tests and delved into the concepts of introversion and extroversion (we recommend listening to that episode first if you haven’t already. This week we reveal our Myers-Briggs and Enneagram types  (drumroll….)  and continue the conversation as it relates to parenting, part...

Welcome to our two-part show all about personality types! In Episode 57 we discuss the general appeal of self-discovery and the lure (or, for some, skepticism) of personality tests and quizzes. We also discuss the concepts of introversion and extroversion, how neither of us fit a classic mold, and how our needs change over the course of motherhood. Online Personality Tests (Take yours – it’s...

Working outside the home brings its own set of challenges and opportunities that Meagan and Sarah don't get to speak to personally as freelancers who work from home, and we get requests from listeners all the time to address working mom life on the podcast. So we are thrilled that for our second Bonus Interview episode Sarah interviewed three moms who work full-time outside the home. Meet Eli...

Moving with kids – whether it’s across town or out of state – is no easy task. Meagan and Sarah have each done it several times and share their tips and experiences in Episode 56. We also expand the conversation to the broader topic of cultivating community where you live, regardless of how long you’ve been there. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Speakpipe  – Leave us an audio message and your quest...

We aren’t extreme couponers (or couponers at all, really), but as moms of many kids and growing families, we definitely have our eyes on the grocery budget. Join Meagan and Sarah for an inside look at our shopping habits when it comes to groceries and household supplies in Episode 55. We talk about where we shop, how we keep costs down, and what we think of warehouse retailers and big box sto...

If you’ve traveled with small children, you know that “enjoy” and “vacation” don’t always belong in the same sentence. In Episode 53 Meagan and Sarah share tips for reclaiming a little bit of R & R in your family travels, even during the little years. We talk about how to making packing and getting out the door less hectic, ways to get aligned with your co-parent and make use of each othe...

Asking for help with childcare, close friends with dramatically different parenting styles, handling kids’ big emotions with elementary school friendship struggles, and how to stop apologizing for where you are in life/motherhood and embrace the chaos with confidence. It’s another  Listener Q & A  show! LINKS MENTIONED: How to get our Summer Shortcuts eBook for free (hint: listen to&...

We’re all about laid-back, low-key summer fun – but sometimes it takes a little planning ahead to make room for all that lazing around. In Episode 51 Meagan and Sarah talk about getting organized for summer – from what to do with the avalanche of school papers that come home this time of year, to looking at the calendar and making room for the stuff (literal and figurative) that matters. Whether y...

Parenting is hard enough - even when you've studied up on expert tips and have your diaper bag stocked and organized. But sometimes our most genius moments as moms and dads happen when we're caught off guard - when we don't have a clear-cut answer and have to rely on in-the-moment instinct and commonsense intuition. That's what Sarah discusses with author Asha Dornfest the first-ever BONUS intervi...

50 episodes into The Mom Hour (!!) and some things never change. We laugh. We ramble a bit. We gush about how great you guys – our listeners – are. As we gear up for a summer full of some great shows, and some new ideas and improvements we’re making to the podcast, join us for a look back at our favorite moments and most popular episodes, and a look at what’s ahead for The Mom Hour....

If you follow us on social media, you probably saw that Meagan and Sarah got to hang out – and record this very podcast episode – in person over the weekend at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Laguna Niguel, CA. Not only did we get to hang out with one another, we shared a makeshift recording studio (translation: one king-sized hotel bed) with some of our favorite fellow podcasters: Jessica Ashley...

Last week we talked about our ever-evolving “mom style” and what looks we’re loving at this stage of life. This week we’re moving on to hairstyles, skincare, make-up and beauty routines. Join Meagan and Sarah for much confusion and hilarity – and hopefully a little insight – on growing out short hair, going gray in our 30’s, being completely overwhelmed by skincare products, and making t...

When you spend years cycling through maternity, post-partum, nursing and  “oh gee I’m pregnant again!” wardrobe pieces, thinking about your personal style can take a back seat. Now that Meagan and Sarah are squarely on the other side of those years, we’re talking about clothes, shopping and style in Episode 47. Join us for a fun conversation about where we love to shop, when to buy cheap and...

There’s no shortage of movies, television, books and music geared toward kids. The tough part is, some of it is pretty terrible, some is just okay, and some is truly fantastic (making us want to be a kid again, quite frankly). In Episode 46 Meagan and Sarah discuss helping our kids follow their interests into the realms of literature, music, and screen media. We marvel over some of the differ...

There’s no question that the academic demands on kids – at school and at home – have increased since we were students. Join Meagan and Sarah for an honest, thoughtful conversation about elementary school homework and the continued pressure on our kids into their middle and high school years. As usual, we embrace the fact that we don’t have all the answers, and we do our best to stay positive and n...

Let’s face it: most of us have certain areas of motherhood that feel easy-breezy and others where we tend to struggle. And while it’s always possible to improve your parenting game, we think it’s also helpful to acknowledge that one mom’s superpower might be another’s kryptonite… and that’s okay . Join Meagan and Sarah for a frank and fun conversation about their own superpowers and kryptonite. En...

It's easy to let creative pursuits and hobbies fade into the background during the hectic years of early parenting. And when the time comes to make room for them again, we're sometimes left with questions: Am I too old? Is this still something I love to do? Maybe I should pick up something new? And how do I fit it all in? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

Rough patches in (and out!) of parenthood: whether it’s a temporary crisis, a general mom funk, or full-blown depression, we’ve all been there. In this episode, Sarah and Meagan have a frank conversation about some hard times we’ve been through as moms, give advice for taking care of yourself when things aren’t going well, and offer encouragement to help you see...

We get so many great questions from listeners, and sometimes it doesn't work to devote a whole episode to them. So we decided to take on four questions submitted by listeners: listen as we chat about room-sharing siblings, planning first birthday parties, feeling left out when you have your kids earlier or later than your friends do, and the evolution of playdates. LINKS MENTIONED: Sarah’s essay i...

How does birth order - both our own and our children's - affect how we relate to our kids? Do stereotypes like the bossy oldest, peacemaking middle and freewheeling youngest hold up, in our experience? What do we remember about our role as oldest (Sarah) and youngest (Meagan) and how does that influence our mothering? We tackle these questions and more in Episode 40 - all about birth order. If you...

Do you parent a picky eater? Then Episode 39 is for you. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah admit we don’t have the answers when it comes to this tricky (and oh-so-common) parenting challenge. But in lieu of solving all your problems, we share our own and talk through some of the complicated pieces of the puzzle. LINKS MENTIONED: LINKS MENTIONED: The Picky Eater  (Ellyn Satter Institute) Picky...